Their Best Life
by tsukikomew
Summary: Elena and Damon's romance began in "His Best Girl" but how did they get to that perfect future?  Follow their journey through pregnancy, adoption, and much more.  Rated M for adult situations in later chapters.
1. Surprise!

So after an amazing outpouring of feedback and utter love of my story "His Best Girl" I've decided to continue it. It's taken me awhile to wrestle with what I would choose to do and I think I've found a nice compromise. Basically this will be a series of chapters that can time-jump to cover what happened after the proposal. There's a six year gap (about) between the proposal and the end of the story so I'm going to play that up. How did they find out about the girls? How did Klaus end up with them? What happened to Eli and Stefan? I think you'll enjoy the road we'll be taking.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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Some men claimed you had to find a woman who loves you unconditionally, a woman who will always challenge you, a woman who you always want to make love to and, most important of all, you have to make sure that none of those women ever meet. I say those men are idiots. My philosophy was to find a woman which embodied all of those aspects and then convince them to love you.

I have to be one of the luckiest men alive to have found the woman I love when she was five. I was able to be there for all of her major life events and I was able to soothe all of her painful memories. I was her first everything for the most part. I was the first boy to kiss her, the first one to take her on a date, the first to make love to her, and the first to put her above everyone else. I also somehow managed to convince her I was a worthy choice.

I watched her go through her gawky stage which lasted about two minutes before she was suddenly all sumptuous curves and long, luxurious limbs. I watched her break heart after heart as she dumped all the boys she dated through school. That was all fine by me since none of them could ever have been good enough for her.

Finally I had cause to worry when she went to college. One boy emerged from behind and put his ring on her finger. I had never wanted to hurt a man so completely when I saw that tiny little diamond on her finger. She had been blushing and giggling as she showed it off and I knew she would never be happy.

Thankfully the dumbass cheated and she caught him in bed with the woman. Thank God Elena didn't sleep with him since who knows what she could have caught. The ring was returned very quickly and she went through her period of sadness over the lost relationship. I had made sure to take very good care of her and she spent that week between her sheets with me.

It still always amazed me when she tells me I have been her only. She knows I can't say that to her but she maintains she was never ready to have that level of intimacy with anyone else. It made me feel horrible when I knew my number was much too high but she continued to assure me it didn't matter. As long as she was my last then she seemed happy enough.

Six weeks ago I put my own ring on her finger. The day I bought the ring had been nerve-wracking. I had spent hours walking around to various small jewelry stores while I searched for the perfect ring to represent our love. It had been hiding in one of our antique shops, behind the counter all this time.

The silver band was cleaned until it seemed to shimmer in any kind of light. The diamonds sparkled so everyone could see she wore my ring and no man would dare come up against a Salvatore. The infinity design spoke perfectly, describing our love in a way that spoke volumes. Forever seemed too simple a word for the feelings we shared.

I rolled over slowly, careful of my sleeping fiancée. The house had been besieged by illness recently and she seemed to be taking much longer to recuperate. Her nights were fitful and often contained flights to the bathroom. Sometime around three she would finally collapse from exhaustion and fall against the pillows in a sleep so deep, nothing could rouse her.

Her arm cradled her head and the circles under her eyes seemed prominent. I reached out to run a hand down her back and she sighed in her sleep, moving quietly to lie against me. She seemed chilled so I pulled a blanket up over her bare back, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. Her hair fell over my arm and I reached up to run my fingers through it.

"What time is it?" she croaked, her throat dry.

"Nearly 7. Go back to sleep," I answered. I shouldn't have bothered since she was already pulling her nearby robe around her shoulders. She slid from the bed slowly and slid her feet into her slippers. She yawned loudly before stumbling towards our bathroom.

I knew it was a waste of time to bother arguing with her so I moved to the dresser. Next to my boxers were a stack of neatly folded lingerie and I slid my fingers over one black bra. After my proposal she had officially moved into my room which was now affectionately called "our" room. Her nearby room had been closed and she had said, while blushing, it could serve as a nursery. I had choked lightly but recovered quickly. I didn't think I was ready for children.

I tugged her top set and slid them to the top of the dresser so they would be ready for her when she emerged from her scalding shower. I tugged a shirt on and pulled pants up, buckling the gold buckle quickly. I heard her soft sounds as the shower shut off and I moved to open the closet door. Her dress swung out as the hanger slid against the hook.

"Mmmgarble...uhhh" she groaned as she stumbled towards the dresser. I moved forward suddenly and pulled her into my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. Her arms slid around my waist and I held her for long moments as I tried to formulate an argument.

"You need to call in, Baby. You can barely walk and you look exhausted," I murmured. She didn't respond but she did rub her cool cheek against my chest.

"I have to go in. They're making Valentine's Day decorations," she replied. "I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I'll find out what is up."

"Then I'll cancel my plans and go with you," I offered.

"No. I'll be fine and I'll have one of the older kids walk me to the doctor's. You need to drop Stefan off at the train station and run errands," she said. She pulled back and leaned up to press a kiss to my cheek but I swiveled and caught her in a passionate kiss.

She melted against me and her fingers slid up to clench my hair. She had been exhausted for days and it had been awhile since we'd made love. Her towel slipped daringly and I nearly ripped it from her myself but then I opened my eyes and saw her pale skin and dark circles. She needed a good night's sleep first.

"Mmm...will you call me after?" I asked softly as she slid out of my embrace. She tugged her bra and underwear on as I watched adoringly. Her diamond ring caught the early morning light and I smiled as it created a rainbow on the nearby wall. I handed her the cotton dress and she slid it over her head.

"Of course," she replied. "Can you hand me my shoes?"

I didn't reply as I handed her the white shoes. She looked ready for a summer party and it was February. We were dealing with a strange warm front though so we were taking advantage of it. She leaned down and tied her shoes as I watched her with what I'd been told resembled a lovesick grin.

"Stop it," she said softly as she swatted at me playfully.

"Stop what?" I asked. She smiled and moved over to me, taking my hand in hers.

"Looking at me like the world disappears when I'm with you," she said calmly. Her eyes sparkled as if she knew my response. I kissed her knuckles softly and pulled her towards the steps, sweeping her into my arms.

She giggled loudly as I walked down the steps, jostling her softly out of play. She was all smiles by the time we made it to the kitchen, the only sound from the coffee maker. She moaned at the scent of fresh coffee and I sat her on the stool as I maneuvered for the fridge.

"Are you having coffee?" She asked as she began stirring sugars into her mug. The milk passed from my hand to hers as I nodded in response. I popped the toast in the toaster and turned to take my first sip of pure black goodness.

"So are you feeling better?" I asked. She nodded a little and reached out to play with a friendship bracelet Klaus had made for me. The boy certainly had wormed his way into both of our hearts and Elena had been upset to see him leave us to return to the Center. Tears had come from all sides and I had already pulled the manager aside to discuss a more permanent arrangement. I had been told it would be difficult since we weren't married nor did I hold a full-time job.

"So are we going to talk about this sudden lack of sex or are we going to pretend we aren't obsessed with it?" she asked suddenly. I coughed and some of the coffee dribbled from my mouth in an embarrassing fashion. A napkin was pressed to my mouth in seconds and I smiled at her gentle motions.

"Lack of sex?"

"Damon we haven't had sex in two weeks and usually I can't even walk after a weekend at home," she said as she stirred her coffee. I chuckled at the soft flush on her cheeks. It told me she wanted sex and she wanted it soon. Was there anything sexier than a woman demanding sex?

"I've been worried about your health," I replied. "You haven't been feeling well recently and the last thing you need is sex."

"Hmm..." she began. She slid off her stool and came closer, clasping my one hand and bringing it to the curve of her breast. I froze as I looked down at my hand as if surprised of its location. "Perhaps it's the best antidote to my current problem. After all, you don't leave me wanting do you?"

"I suppose I could be persuaded..." I murmured as she leaned forward to wrap her arms around my neck. My hands slid to her tiny waist and I pulled her closer. Her eyes met mine and with a shy smile I found myself ensnared in a kiss. Her kisses were like the finest alcohol, strong yet satisfying. They weakened my resolve and made me want to beg her to never leave.

I could say I hated the way it made me feel, weak and unsure, but I couldn't bring myself to feel negatively towards her. It wasn't her fault I fell in love with her. How could it be since she had accepted our relationship as it was for so long? She had been in love far longer than I had realized but she had said nothing. No words, no gestures, nothing to imply her feelings but yet she remained in love.

I pulled her up into my lap and she slid effortlessly against me, her legs tucked against mine. She licked her lips and then met my mischievous eyes. My hands slid to her waist and lingered on the soft fabric.

"So...I was thinking about Valentine's Day," I began. She looked up curiously since I hadn't mentioned it yet. "I was thinking about getting away for the weekend and maybe just having some bonding time."

"I don't think we can bond much more," she answered. She smiled a little then her hand flew to her mouth as she ripped herself from my lap. I flew after her as she ran down the hallway into the bathroom. The door slammed and the lock turned and I was quickly treated to listening to her losing her morning coffee.

"Elena? Open the door," I said through the door. I didn't like the lack of sound and I waited to hear anything. The lock clicked and I opened the door, sliding in to see Elena still hugging the toilet. Her face was pale and her skin seemed to have lost some color. I slid to the floor beside her and pulled her against me.

"I don't know what's wrong, Damon. It's so sudden..." she said as she buried her face against my shirt. Her breathing was soft and I came to a sudden decision. We would be going to the doctor's now and she could visit the Center later. I tugged her into my arms and stood abruptly.

"We're going to the doctor's now and you can argue with me later," I said with finality. Thankfully she offered no resistance as I carried her to the car.

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"Do you think it's serious?" Elena asked in a trembling whisper. I reached out to take her hand and she squeezed back with little strength.

"I'm sure everything is fine," I replied. I had spent nearly twenty minutes in the waiting room before the nurse asked me to come back and sit with Elena. They wanted to run some tests and she seemed anxious. Dr. Bennett didn't say much about his thoughts but Elena seemed worried.

She looked cold and I tugged a nearby blanket to cover her legs. It was fucking ridiculous how cold this room was when she was sitting there in a little gown. After a bout of sickness in the car she had pulled her hair back in case it struck again. She seemed weak and I didn't like it. I didn't like how tired she looked and how sickly she seemed.

Elena was a fighter and she didn't take crap. She was the only girl to punch Tyler Lockwood in the face when she found him peeping on her and Caroline. She was the only girl in town to get a full ride to college and then work a full-time job in order to pay her way and give charity to the Center. She was someone who worked and worked and lived life to the fullest. It was a blow to see her so panicked.

Our eyes flew up when Dr. Bennett came into the room, clipboard in hand and a look that spoke nothing. He handed Elena some crackers and a ginger ale from the vending machine out front. He sighed as a father did when he was delivering some monumental news. He smiled a little at Elena and I remembered all her years spent at the Bennett household. Years of tea parties, slumber parties, and homework help alongside Bonnie.

"So Dr. Bennett, is it bad?" Elena asked softly although her hand tightened on mine in a death grip.

"Depends on how you look at it Elena," he replied ambiguously. "I suspect you two will need to discuss these changes but I think after the initial shock, you'll both be pleased."

"Get to the point," I spat. Elena shot me a look but I shrugged. I had no patience...sue me.

"Ah yes Damon, waiting was never your strong suit," he said. "Well then...Elena your tests confirmed what I suspected. Congratulations on your pregnancy."

We froze and I dropped my hand from hers. She clutched the cot harshly as she started breathing heavily. My thoughts were jumbled and I couldn't seem to form any words to describe my feelings. Perhaps I didn't really understand my feelings yet.

"How long?" Elena's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her as if surprised to hear her voice and I glanced around as if surprised at where we were. Her hand had loosened from the cot and she lifted her hand to grasp the ginger ale, sipping quietly.

"I would estimate 6-7 weeks but it could be as much as 8. I would put your due date around the beginning to middle of September. You're experiencing morning sickness and you need to start monitoring your diet. I can set you up with a nutritionist if you'd like but I would highly recommend making some healthier changes to help keep your energy up," Dr. Bennett explained.

"Is that why I've been so sick?" she asked.

"Well I heard you had a cold so I'm sure it's just compounded. You're a healthy woman Elena and I didn't find anything wrong but we can run some additional blood tests if you're worried," he answered. "Look I'll go and get the recommendations for the nutritionist and give you two a few minutes alone."

He made his exit quickly and I suddenly felt trapped when I heard the door click shut. We would have to talk about it and I wasn't sure I could. Elena remained silent thankfully but her one hand dropped to her stomach as she rubbed it through the gown.

"I...I don't know how you feel about this Damon but I...I want the baby," she said quietly. I looked up at her profile and saw the small smile on her face. It pushed back the sickly look she had been carrying and suddenly she was glowing. Her hand was pressed tightly to her stomach and she looked genuinely happy.

"It's definitely unexpected," I began as I reached out to press my hand over hers. "I know that I want you happy and healthy."

"And the baby?" she asked softly.

"I'll need some processing time I think, but I'll love him or her," I added. I leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said. We could deal with our worries later but right now in this cold room, we were in love and that's all that mattered.

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Thank you for starting this journey with me. I will continue with "Clue Me In" but unfortunately I'm stuck for the moment. I'm hoping to alternate or at least to use this story to let me play with some easy romance and some lighter, fluffy fun. Next chapter will jump to Valentine's Day and will focus on Damon and Elena coming to terms with the pregnancy and what that means for their relationship.

Please drop me a review and let me know what you think. I always respond even if it takes me some time but I always get back to you.

A special thanks to LokYa for plugging "His Best Girl" all the time on the forums and for recommending it on Twitter constantly. Thank you!

Follow me at tsukikomew (dot) blogspot (dot) com


	2. Red Flags

Plot bunnies are weird. Well you'll see below. I do have to say it's not to my usual level of editing but I needed to get past the chapter so I apologize for any mistakes. Perhaps in a few chapters, I'll come back and fix any mistakes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Not sleeping is something I have had amazing luck with since recent developments emerged. Apparently when you find out you are carrying a baby your mind (or at least my mind) made it nearly impossible to sleep. It didn't help my Damon was not staying in bed either. I spent many hours waiting up for him but he only came to bed when light came in the windows. Soon enough I was getting up to leave for the Center and attempting to not lose my breakfast.

By the time I returned home, Damon had vanished. Dinner was spent alone and then the night repeated. I didn't understand what was going on and I could hardly catch him for an explanation. He was secretive and evasive about everything. I had thought he was planning Valentine's Day since he loved secret getaways and surprises. If he could mix them then it was pure heaven.

He was scaring me and I didn't like what I was seeing. We had always been close and we had always been completely honest with each other. Suddenly it was like Damon didn't want to be in the same room as me. The only thing that came to mind was the baby and I didn't like that thought. I didn't like it all.

So I did what I always did, I accepted it. I remained silent on the matter and I threw myself into the kids at the Center and my own fantastic dreams. What would our child look like? Would she have her father's smile or would he have my eyes? I spent hours picturing our child and I fell in love with the baby. I snuck peeks into a Center book on pregnancy every chance I could get and I made appointments with the nutritionist. I would do anything for my child.

What I hadn't been prepared for had been the fight to happen two days before Valentine's Day. We almost never fought and when we did it was over something stupid. We never said hurtful things to one another and it had never led to us not speaking. Neither of us ever left our home in order to get away, to escape. It had all started after the doctor's appointment but it hadn't completely escalated until the end of the week.

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"What do you mean you don't want to tell anyone?" I asked incredulously. Damon had dropped that bomb on me as we walked out of the office. His hand was still chilled and I knew he had gotten the most unexpected surprise of his life. I was in love with the news but he didn't seem quite as thrilled.

"Well I just think we should get used to it ourselves before we start telling everyone," he answered quickly. I didn't like the implications but I had learned to accept Damon's statements. When he was ready we could discuss what was really going on.

"Well I guess we should wait another month anyway. Some problems occur in the first three months and it might be better to wait," I added thoughtfully. He tugged my hand suddenly and began escorting me towards one of the little cafes on the main street.

Minutes later we were seated and I was looking at a glass of apple juice. Damon had said nothing other than a quick order for a scotch. I watched him throw it back and gesture for another. I sipped my juice thoughtfully and turned to watch people on the streets. Our town was so beautiful and picturesque. Kids were playing in the park, throwing balls back and forth and swinging their legs in glee.

My hand slid down to my stomach and I played with the fabric. I felt as if warmth was spreading throughout me and I smiled. I'd always wanted a child and now to be having one with Damon felt like the greatest gift of all. Two pregnant women sat on the benches nearby, laughing and showing each other pictures of their other children.

"Do you want a salad," Damon asked suddenly. I looked over at him and noticed he wouldn't meet my eyes. He was staring at his menu as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. I reached out to slide my hand against his and he jumped. He glanced at me sheepishly before laying the menu down.

"That would be nice," I replied. I traced designs on the back of his hand until he turned it over, taking mine in his. His eyes still avoided mine but I was seeking his touch for comfort so I let it go. Food ordering remained the same and no conversation passed between us. It should have been the first red flag.

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The second red flag was our lack of intimacy. Damon wasn't sharing a bed with me and he certainly wasn't attempting to seduce either. It came as a blow since Damon loved sex and he loved dragging me off to various corners. Since our engagement we had only skipped days periodically and I was surprised when he stopped trying to seduce.

The third red flag wasn't much of a flag. It was more of a bomb in the water. The fight sort of came out of nowhere but at the same time I couldn't believe I didn't see it coming. All the signs were there but I guess because we didn't fight very much, it just slipped through.

It all began with red flag number one's line.

"What do you mean you don't want to tell anyone?" I asked during a rare moment we were together. He was pacing the floor while I sat at my vanity. It was a new purchase and Damon had surprised me with it after a weekend getaway. He had some sort of thing about brushing my hair so it was more for him. His hands always moved with purpose and I wondered if he'd missed his calling as a hair dresser.

"I just think we should wait," he replied testily. He was clutching a glass of scotch tightly and I mentally counted the number of drinks I'd seen him with in the past few days. I didn't like the mounting number. I sat the brush down with a clatter and turned to face him.

"Why do you not want to talk about this?" I asked forcefully. I was absolutely sick of dealing with his avoidance. Couldn't he see I needed to talk and I needed some comfort? I was scared too and I needed him.

"Because I don't know how I feel about it," he shot back. "I don't like feeling closed in and I don't like the surprise."

"Damon, it's happened and we need to discuss this!" I replied. I stood up and moved to stand before him. He looked at me in surprise but I held my ground. We were going to discuss this, damn it!

"You need to back off so I can think about this!" He raised his voice.

"You need to stop only thinking about yourself! I need to talk to you and we need to figure out what we're going to do," I explained calmly.

"You mean you need to figure it out. You said you were covering protection but somehow you're pregnant!" He yelled. I stepped back as if slapped. How could he imply I was trapping him? Did he really think so little of me?

"You don't want the baby," I said quietly. I repeated the statement again and turned from him. I knew it wasn't planned but I thought he would be supportive and try to at least talk about it. I never thought he would react so negatively. I stumbled back into my seat as he started muttering quietly.

"I didn't say that," he finally replied. He didn't have to since I could hear it in his voice. Sometimes he seemed to forget I knew him so well. Why he couldn't tell what I needed now was what surprised me. Usually he was immediate in his responses and he was honest to the point of being rude but now he was hiding things.

"But you meant it," I stated.

"Maybe," he whispered.

"I see."

"Look I get that you need a family but I have one already," he said bitterly. I froze and my hands dropped to my lap. I felt the tears bubble to the surface and I bit my lip to hold them back. Damon had never said anything so horrible to me. Through everything we'd been through together he'd never said something like that, something that hurt so deeply.

I stood suddenly and reared back, slapping him. I froze with my hand raised and then glanced at it like I'd never seen it before. Had I really slapped him? His cheek was turned to the side but I could see the anger.

"You're right," I began. "Little orphan Elena has no family so why not trap the man she loves into a family."

"Elena..." he said quietly.

"No! I get it. I've been playing pretend right? I'm just like Klaus except its worse. I'm too old to get a family. I'm alone," I said tearfully.

"No Elena...I'm..."

"Save it! I won't freeload anymore. I'm going to Bonnie's. I can come get my stuff or whatever so I won't encroach on your family any more. I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome," I said as I grabbed my purse. As I brushed past him, he didn't move but I saw the grimace on his face. The fact that he didn't stop me broke my heart.

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"Elena, where's Becca?" Klaus asked when he came running into the room suddenly. I threw the book under the nearest pillow and pulled Klaus into my lap. He swung his legs back and forth and looked up for an answer.

"Becca is sleeping on your bed," I answered. Truthfully we were trying some separation since Klaus would be starting school in the fall. He couldn't take Becca with him and we had fallen to separating them for brief periods of time. Usually he didn't notice but occasionally, like now, he noticed and came running.

His hair was getting longer and it would need a cut soon. I reached out to tug on the long strands and he looked up at me with a big smile. His fingers grasped wrist and he played with the charm bracelet. He loved playing with the silver bracelet with its multi-colored charms. His favorite was the lion and he was always playing with it in one way or another.

On his wrist was a matching friendship bracelet to the one Damon wore. I traced the red thread on his wrist and he giggled when it tickled. He was all smiles today and I hugged him to me, choking back tears.

"It's okay Elena," he said softly as he wrapped his arms around me. "At least the sun is shining." It was a statement we told the kids who needed to look on the bright side of things. For children who didn't have much they were taught to be positive and try to see what they did have versus what they did not.

"I'm all right," my voice cracked. I just wanted to go home and crawl into bed with Damon but that wasn't going to happen. I would either have to return and sleep alone or return to Bonnie's and hope she didn't ask questions.

"It's okay to cry Elena," he said quietly. "You always say it's okay to cry." I broke down and began sobbing and I found comfort with the little boy. He held me and hugged me deeply as I cried. I crushed him to me as I cried, tears dropping onto his little red shirt.

After long moments I pulled back and smiled at him lightly. I wiped the tears from my eyes and murmured my thanks. He smiled at me and asked if I was okay before sliding to the floor and running off.

"I'll get Becca," he said. "She always makes me feel better." I nodded a little and focused on my hands. I hated feeling like this and I hated making a spectacle. I was the strong one and I didn't like feeling weak.

"You're beautiful," a voice said. My eyes flew to meet Damon's and I gasped. He was standing in the doorway holding a bouquet of yellow roses. He moved forward and kneeled in front of me, taking my hand in his.

"Damon..." I whispered. I hated being angry with him and it was exhausting. He looked so sad as he took my other hand and brought it to his lips.

"You're so beautiful Elena," he began again. "I'm so so sorry. You shouldn't even have to look at me."

"Damon..."

"No," he sighed. "I never should have said that and I'm so sorry you had to hear it from me. You have a family Elena and I never want you to doubt that. You have me forever Elena." He laid the flowers on the bed next to me and he slid his arms around my waist, leaning down to press a kiss to my stomach.

"Damon, what are you...?" I asked softly.

"I'm going to love this baby and I'm going to make you feel like the Goddess you are, every single step of the way," he said. "I'm sorry I haven't been happy but I'm scared, Elena."

"What are you afraid of?" I asked him. I reached out to run my fingers through his hair gently, completing his favorite soothing activity. He leaned into my touch and I smiled gently.

"What if I'm not good enough? What if something goes wrong?" he said with a shudder.

"Damon, I'm scared too but we'll have each other and I need you," I said. He pulled me against him and buried his head against my stomach. He whispered his apologies over and over until he grew quiet. "I need you so much! I'm so scared and when you pushed me away it broke my heart and then you said those things to me and it brought back all those memories."

"What memories?" he asked.

"Kids always said your family was taking pity on me all those years. Handouts for little orphan Elena was always whispered and your attention questioned," I explained.

"They were jealous because I only had eyes for you, even then. You've been the one girl I've loved more than anything. Somehow I forgot how you'd feel about all this and I was selfish. You know I'm horrible at being selfless," he said.

"You've always done just fine," I replied as tears gathered again. I began to wonder if hormones were already affecting me.

I felt the tears bubble up and he reached up to pull me in for a kiss. His lips were soft but kissing while sobbing was definitively different. His hands were rough as they held me to him as if afraid I would push him away.

"I can never do enough to prove how sorry I am," he said. "I know I've been behaving horribly and I'm sorry. I just never...I never thought we would be having a child and I reacted like an ass. I don't know if I'm ready to share you."

"Damon, having a child will bring us closer together and you're not going to lose me because of this. We've been in love for so long and we've had 17 years together. My goal is spend the next however long we have together with our children and grandchildren. I'm scared too but I just know that everything is going to be all right as long as we're together," I said. He buried his face against my stomach again and I giggled quietly.

"I'm sorry I screwed up our pre-Valentine's Day plans," I whispered. He chuckled against my stomach.

"No, if anyone screwed it all up it was me," he said. His lips still kissed my stomach as he spoke, his nose nuzzling in between words.

"I don't want to be mad anymore," I said.

"Neither do I. Let's go away this weekend and we can talk about everything. I do want us to talk before we tell everyone else," he explained.

"Damon!" Klaus called as he flew in and jumped on Damon's back. The sudden movement surprised us both but I could see the smile on Damon's face. He loved that little boy and I knew Damon would make an amazing father.

"Hey little man," Damon replied. Klaus handed me Becca and immediately started telling Damon about everything he'd missed in the past week. Heads bent closely together and I felt a little tug near my heart. I wanted this. I wanted to scoop up this little boy and take him home and I wanted my family.

"Elena," Damon began, "I love you." His smile was broad as he lifted Klaus into his arms. I knew what his plans were by the smile. We were spending the day with the little boy who had captured our hearts and then we would say goodbye again. I wasn't sure whether it was better to spend time or better to not see him as often. It broke my heart to leave him here day after day and I knew Damon felt the same way even when he wouldn't admit it.

"I love you too Elena!" Klaus called. Here, surrounded by these boys I just knew everything would be okay.

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So somehow this little idea of a fight popped into my head and it wouldn't leave. I could have dragged it out and left us in agony over their reconciliation but I decided against that. Many of you know how much I hate angst. It's really hard for me to write it so it tends to be brief.

Next chapter will be Valentine's Day and they'll discuss this major change in their lives. I'm still working on Clue Me In but we'll see when the next chapter can get finished.

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	3. Command

WARNING: The below chapter is filled with smut. If you find this distasteful then please skip to the final line to know what's coming.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!

P.S. EW….nuff said.

P.P.S. Double the above statement!

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The car ride was slower than usual because of course the cold weather chose to make its appearance now. The tires crunched on the two inches of snow on the road and I prayed we'd make it to the cabin sooner, rather than later. I glanced over at Elena quickly and noticed she was still asleep. I didn't like the idea of my pregnant fiancée in the car on potentially hazardous roads but we were this far and I couldn't turn back. At least she was unaware of our current situation.

We had a late start after I found Elena in the bathroom this morning, cradling the toilet. I slid down onto the floor and held her for a while as she got sick. Between bouts she slid back to rest against me. I could never understand where it all came from since she hadn't eaten anything in hours.

Sometime later I would bring her ginger ale and some crackers as she sat in front of the toilet. Her cheeks seemed clammy and I sat nearby in case she needed me to hold her hair. I hated feeling this useless but she assured me it was normal. I could never understand why it was considered normal but I accepted it. It seemed odd that being sick was considered normal.

Our trip had been delayed by a few hours but we were lucky to even make it out of the bathroom. This whole morning sickness business seemed to take all day. Even with the aid of a doctor and nutritionist, Elena spent hours in the bathroom every day. I'd never felt so powerless since I'd found myself sitting beside her on the bathroom floor.

The car moved slowly up the long, private drive to an old family cabin. It wasn't a cabin any longer since I'd inherited it. Before it was a hunting cabin for my grandfather and my father after him but I had no need for such activities. As the car rolled to stop in front of our mountain home, I placed the car in park and turned to my girl. Her breathing was soft and I reached out to trace her cheek.

"Elena," I whispered as I slid towards her, kissing her forehead gently. She stirred lightly and I kissed her furiously, hoping she would return it. Our relationship was still tenuous after our fight and I hated that I felt cautious with her. She stirred and I felt her arms slide up to wrap around my neck and I smiled against her.

"Mmmm...are we there yet?" She asked softly, sleep still in her voice. Her eyes fluttered open and I pulled her in for another kiss. One of my favorite types of kisses was one with eyes open, our gazes held with each movement. As we parted her eyes slid to glance out the window. "It's snowing!"

"Mmm-hmm. It's been snowing for a while," I replied. Elena loved snow and I could already see her fidgeting in her seat. I reached out to calm her and she spun to me. "Let's go inside and have a late lunch first. You're supposed to have regular meals."

"Damon, I can take care of myself," she said with an eye roll.

"You are carrying my child too, you know? Regular meals, no exceptions," I answered. She seemed surprised by my attitude and to be honest, it surprised me as well. After our apologies I became fiercely protective and I wasn't sure why. Nothing had changed but I couldn't help but be protective.

"You're coming around," she said as she reached out to lay her palm against my cheek. I turned in her touch and pressed a kiss to her palm. She smiled broadly and I returned it. Her eyes sparkled as I pulled back.

"It's a process," I replied. I opened the door slowly and ran around to her side, tugging the door open. She fell into my arms and I spun her around as the snowflakes settled in her hair. We had spent a lot of time in the snow over the years and even now, I felt like a child again. Finally she shoved at me and we tumbled into a growing snow bank. It cushioned our fall but I felt the tell-tale coldness spreading. She giggled as my head came into contact with the icy cold before leaning down to kiss me.

Her eyes closed in relaxed bliss as we laid there in the snow. She had been so unhappy the past few days and to see her like this made me feel like the king of the world. Her smile was broad as she giggled against my lips, her mouth opening seamlessly. Her fingers curled into my hair and I felt the soft tug of her passion. My eyes drifted shut as I kissed her and I felt content.

Suddenly she pulled back from me and gasped loudly. I reached up to try and coax her back but she began to get up, sliding up gently until she was standing above me. I turned to see what she was looking at and noticed the well cleaned walls of the cabin, the stonework patio, and the new archway which connected the outdoors with the small porch.

"You've changed it," she said joyfully. I stood up suddenly and pulled her hands to my lips.

"A Valentine's Day gift, darling," I answered. "You love this place but it's too old-fashioned for us. I did a bit of updating and added some pleasurable aspects." I nipped at her ear and she shuddered lightly.

"Can I see it?" she asked.

"Well I guess but I was considering keeping you out here. We'll have dinner then," I began. "Marthe left dinner for us."

"Oh I love her food. I hope it's her roast," she said with a smile. I smiled at her and took her arm in mine to escort her to the door. She leaned against me and rested her head on my shoulder and I closed my eyes for a minute. To be here with her in this way was something I never expected. I couldn't have imagined her accepting me as her lover in a real relationship.

"I haven't seen it since I finalized the plans so it better be perfect," I said. She giggled at my unspoken threat. If it was not perfect there would be hell to pay. My hand slid up to cover her eyes and she reached up to tug at my hand. "It's a surprise."

She smiled but allowed me to lead her inside. I stared at the gleaming wood floors and newly painted walls in amazement. Everything was to my specifications and I knew Elena would be pleased. Down the hallway, I could see the new addition with floor to ceiling windows. The staircase was newly finished and curved upwards to the newly completed bedrooms and I smiled over my plans to add bedrooms to the single one upstairs.

"Can I look now?" she said impatiently. I lifted my hand from her eyes and she gasped. She remembered a dark house with chipped paint and old floors. Nothing would have prepared her for the luxury I had built into this. If it was closer to Mystic Falls I would ask for us to make it our home but I knew she loved the town too much. This would be a weekend or vacation home for us and...our children to enjoy.

As I led her towards the expanded family room I saw the plan with new eyes. The open floor by the fireplace would be an excellent spot for a playpen. The large backyard could hold a swing set or a playhouse. Children running and frolicking through the home seemed to be required in the new space and I had to wonder if maybe I had wanted this more than I thought.

"It's beautiful Damon," she said as she turned into my arms. Her fingers slid up my arms until they reached my shoulders and her eyes rose to meet my eyes. They sparkled in happiness and I brought her forward for a kiss. My hands slid from her hips to press softly against her stomach in wonder. Perhaps...perhaps I wasn't as upset about all this as I thought.

"Elena..." I whispered. The smile slipped from her face as she stared up at me with a look of confusion. I tugged her against me aggressively and kissed her furiously. My hands slid up to hold her head where I wanted her as I plundered her mouth. A soft groan escaped her as she found my intent. Her fingers curled into my shoulders as she pressed herself against me.

I slid us back, pushing her towards the soft rug in front of the roaring fire. It would be perfect for this and pulled back from her lips to press insistent kisses to her throat. The pulse leapt to meet my lips and I chuckled against her heated skin. There was far too much cloth and I growled when her coat hampered my progress.

I tugged at the zipper on her coat, shredding the scarf hanging from her neck. Her soft shirt was not enough and as the coat slipped from her arms; her blue t-shirt was ripped clear down the middle. She made a sound of displeasure but I soothed her with a soft kiss. The shirt slid from her arms and I found great pleasure along her blue bra.

Her breasts were pushed deeply upwards within their confines and I itched to release them. Her fingers tugged at my jacket and I ripped the jacket off before resuming my attack on her senses. We tumbled to the floor and I cradled her against me to soften the fall. She pulled me to her and I lost any semblance of reality. Her hands were insistent as they ripped the buttons from my shirt until I could pull it off entirely.

Her knees were by my hips, cradling me against her as she began to stroke my chest. Our kisses were hot and passionate as I poured every feeling into them. We had not made love since we had found out about the baby and suddenly it was the only thing I wanted.

Her jeans were in the way and her boots were firmly planted to the ground but I wanted her heels against me. I pulled back and shrugged out of shirt and shoes, tugging hers after my own. I reached for her jeans and her fingers fell to my belt buckle. Her fingers fumbled as I tore at the fabric separating us.

Our jeans were stripped from us quickly and I fell upon her as if we'd never been together before. My lips sought out each hollow, each dip of her beloved skin in my effort to apologize for my behavior. This weekend would be about renewing our love in light of our newest discovery.

Hidden by only a scrap of lace I slid down her body to press a kiss to her stomach. Her hands held my head to her as I lifted her legs onto my shoulders. I scraped my teeth along her lower belly as I met her gaze. She quivered gently and I turned my attention to nibbling around her belly button. Her giggle answered me and I chuckled as I slid up to take a nipple into my mouth. She arched into me and I pressed her down to hold her in place. Her head fell back as I slid a hand down to play against her underwear.

I found her wet and wanting as I playfully slid my hand under the material, slipping towards her desire. She gasped as I slid inside her, one teasing swipe of my thumb to make her quiver. I slid up to kiss her and she looked at me dazedly as my hand slid from her. She looked happy as I slid back to tug her underwear and my own from our bodies.

Her hands clutched at the rug and I watched her for a moment. Her eyes were glazed and her lips parted with each soft gasp. Her cheeks were flushed while her breasts heaved. Her stomach quivered and her legs trembled as she waited for me. My hands slid along her thighs and she arched against me.

They slid over her hips and up over her breasts until they slid under her arms to wrap them around my neck. She grasped me with a soft sigh as she felt me tease her opening. I felt the softness of her inner thighs as I rocked forward gently; slipping into her as if it was our first time. Her knees hugged my hips and as I completed the first thrust her legs wrapped around me, holding me to her.

"Damon," she moaned as I held myself away from her lips. I watched her eyes roll back as I tilted my hips forward to give her the friction she needed, her hips arching to meet me. I held her eyes as I moved against her, watching each pulse of pleasure shooting through her.

"Sweetheart," I groaned against her neck as I tried to hold back my release. Her hands slid to my cheeks and she lifted my head with force in order to kiss me deeply. Her eyes remained opened as she kissed me thoroughly. I swallowed her moan of satisfaction and thrust forward with intent.

Moments later I shuddered against her with a loud groan and pressed my lips to her neck. She fell back limply as her hands slid to the rug. The only sounds were our labored breaths and I continued to drop kisses along her skin until she giggled quietly.

"Mmm...what a housewarming gift," she said softly. I pulled myself from her and slid to the rug beside her, pulling her into my arms. She slid her leg over mine and rested her palm on my chest, as she slid up to run her fingers through my hair.

"I love you," I said simply. She said nothing for a moment and I noticed the mood changed from lighthearted fun to seriousness. She lifted my one hand and slid it to her stomach, to rest on the tougher bulge; the doctor told her was her already expanding uterus. I had blanched at his descriptions and at the time, she had begun to laugh uncontrollably.

"Do you...love us?" she asked softly. I slid my other hand up to cup her cheek as I pulled her to me in a sweet kiss. She allowed me one kiss before she pulled back with the same question.

"I'm selfish with you all the time," I said softly. She furrowed her brows and waited for me to continue. "I never thought you'd choose me yet somehow you have. I will love every child we have together and with each one I will love you more."

"Oh Damon," she said softly as she rested her head on my chest. I stroked her cheek softly as I considered how to explain myself.

"I..." I began before falling silent.

"You were worried about your relationship with your father and we've only been together for a short time so it's understandable," she said softly.

"I did worry about my relationship with my father but I never worried about us," I said softly. I raised her chin so I could hold her gaze. "I love you so much and I would give you anything to keep you."

"I will give you everything," she said as she sat up suddenly and my eyes dipped to her bare breasts. "Do you still want to marry me?"

"Of course," I said. "I would marry you now, if I could."

"What's stopping us?" she said playfully. She swatted playfully and fell to the rug beside me. I paused as she lay there and I thought about it. The fire blazed and shadows crept across the floor to play across her naked body.

"Marry me," I said suddenly as I rolled over to press against her side. She giggled and laid a hand on my hip, her thumb pressed against the indent she found there.

"Damon, be serious," she said with a smile.

"I am," I replied simply. "Marry me."

"Damon?" she asked softly before reaching up to grasp my face. "You're serious!"

"We could elope," I replied. "To be your husband would be..."

"Convenient?"

"No."

"Desirable?"

"Of course but not the word I wanted," I said as I nipped at her hand gently.

"Completely crazy?" she laughed and I knew I was winning.

"Perfect was the word I'm looking for," I replied as I pulled her on top of me. Her laughter ended as we slid together again, her head thrown back while her hands rested on my legs. I thrust up and she arched her body. My hand pressed between her breasts as we moved slowly until her hips began to move feverishly.

"Oh!" she moaned loudly.

"No," I said softly as I lifted her from me so she could not move her hips against me. "Say you'll marry me."

"Damon...please!" Her hands fell to her hips as she tried to push herself down. I smirked and she groaned at the meaning. I pushed her back until she fell to the floor, holding her in place on her hands and knees.

"Say it," I commanded as I thrust into her once more. She shuddered uncontrollably as my fingers slipped down to play on her body until she quivered. I blanketed her body and nipped her neck as I pushed us forward slowly with each thrust.

"Damon, be serious. We can't get married!" she cried out as I moved against her until she fell to the floor in submission. She grasped at the rug as I stilled inside her again until I heard her moan of displeasure.

"Say it," I commanded as I began the slow torture again and again. She was strong-willed but in this I would win. Four more times I continued this torture until I nearly caved.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'll marry you." I threw back my head and laughed as I began to show my happiness until she slipped to the floor, exhausted from pleasure. I collapsed on top of her and whispered to her.

"Wear the dress you packed for tomorrow night for tomorrow we wed."

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HAPPY V-DAY!

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	4. Wrecked

This chapter is brought to you by the EW cover, a tiny bit of alcohol, and the letter "D" because frankly "D" gets left out sometimes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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It was once said, "Come dress yourself in love, let the journey begin," but I believed our journey had started the first day I met Damon Salvatore. His boyish smile and that childish smirk on his face made me fall in love with him so completely. As the years went on I found myself dreaming of the day I would get married and it was always Damon there. Even when I had become engaged to Matty Donovan, I dreamt of Damon. His hands, his kiss, his smile, and his laugh haunted me constantly.

"Mmm...look at you all wet," he said softly as he slid behind me in the shower. His hands slid over my hips as he pulled me back to him. I leaned back against him and closed my eyes in contentment. In a few hours we would be married and I would forever remember these moments leading up to it. His lips moved to drop a kiss beneath my ear and I heard a soft whimper escape my lips.

His motions had been attentive to the point of torturous and I knew he wanted our wedding night to be unforgettable. I glanced outside of the open shower and caught the picture of us in the large mirror. His dark hair was pressed to my body as his hands roamed my skin. His lips trailed up to press kisses to my cheek, teeth scraping across my earlobe in pleasure.

"Damon..." I whispered. He pulled back and began running his fingers through my hair. His fingers moved in a massage that made me shudder in pleasure. He reached out for some shampoo and lathered his hands until the room was filled with the smell of honeysuckle and jasmine. His fingers dove into my hair until I gasped. My fingers slid down to his hips and I stared at the engagement ring he'd given me.

As my fingers slipped over his slick skin, I heard him let out a groan as my fingers encompassed his flesh. He was always hard and swollen when I touched him and I smirked in a familiar way. His fingers tightened in my hair as I slid my fingers up and down, over and over. He growled and pulled me in for a harsh, passion-filled kiss. His eyes blazed with want but I knew he would do nothing since he wanted to save any love-making for tonight.

"You tempt me," He growled out as he leaned me back to rinse my hair. He chuckled as he leaned down to kiss my breasts as the water washed away the soap. He was playful as he nipped and kissed until I was pushing against him. I reached out behind him and took his own shampoo into my palms so I could wash him. He smiled charmingly as I reached up to begin stoking his hair with soft touches.

"You tempt me, my love," I said to him. He smiled, shaking his head so soap was flung around the shower. His hands fell to my waist and he pressed his thumbs against my stomach. Last night he had spent hours playing with my stomach. His lips, tongue, teeth, and fingers spent so much time there that I wondered if maybe he was accepting our changing family. Eventually he rested his head there and told me stories of our childhood.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. His lips brushed against mine in a chaste kiss as he finished rinsing off the shampoo. His smile was infectious and I thought about the cause for his happiness.

"Last night and our stories," I replied. He smiled broadly and leaned down to lift me into his arms. I swung up into arms effortlessly and he carried me into our bedroom, the large four-poster bed, and the place where we would consummate our marriage. I bounced against the quilts as he launched himself next to me, kissing and teasing with soft touches.

"I love you," he whispered. I replied in kind and he grinned before rising up to grab his robe and my own. He handed me the warm robe and helped me shrug into it as he offered me his hand. "Lunch and then we'll drive to the courthouse?"

"Yes, my love," I answered.

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The small dressing room seemed like a dream as I slid the dress over my head. The white silk slid over my body like a caress and I shuddered as it fell to my feet. I turned to search for the pair of heels I had brought even though they wouldn't match. I only had one necklace with me, a locket Damon had given me years before and I hoped it would be enough.

"You are very beautiful Miss Gilbert," Marie, the wife of the Justice, said. She often helped prepare the bride if she needed help. It was a funny thought to say the word bride in reference to myself.

Marie moved quickly, pulling my hair back and securing it with a clip. She pulled out the lace Damon had purchased at a local antique shop. The old lace would serve as a veil and as she placed the veil onto my head, I burst into tears.

"There, there Dear. All brides shed a few tears on this day," she said gently as she patted my back.

The tears came in torrents and I knew I was scaring Marie. I thought about the idea of marrying with no one else present. My friends and surrogate family would not be here. My new brother would not see us or my in-laws. I would have no maid-of-honor nor would I have a traditional ceremony. Was it enough?

I steeled myself and let out one last bout before staring at myself in the mirror. My darling, my love, and my future husband would always be enough. It didn't matter to have no one else present because they were in my heart always and my heart was with my Damon.

I reached up and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I brushed a strand of hair from my eyes and straightened. I turned to face Marie and smiled, watching as confusion fell over her face.

"Do you think they are ready?" I asked firmly.

"Yes Miss Gilbert. I'm sure Mr. Salvatore is ready for you," she replied. "Are you sure you are all right?"

"Yes," I said as I wiped the last tear from my eyes. "Well perhaps I should fix my make-up."

"Take it off Dearie. You look more beautiful without it and weddings tend to make people cry," Marie replied.

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"Well Mrs. Salvatore, are you happy," he whispered softly. We were standing on the steps of the courthouse after our simple ceremony and he was stopping us every other step to kiss me. He was standing on the step below me with his arms wrapped around me and his eyes locked on mine.

"I've never been happier," I replied honestly. He smiled broadly and pulled me in for another kiss, his hands ghosting under my coat to play with the silky material.

"Well let's get you home Mrs. Salvatore," he whispered as he pulled me after him.

"You just like saying that, don't you?" I giggled. He wrapped his arm around me and smiled that boyish smile that made me swoon.

"Mrs. Salvatore? I love saying it," he said, punctuating each word with a kiss. "Now that I have you, I won't ever let you escape."

"Should I worry about your obsession?"

"Sweetheart, if you're worried now then what have you been doing since you were five. The obsession isn't exactly new," he replied. It was true but he was so cute when he explained himself. He rattled off a bunch of examples of his obsession as he helped me into the car, lingering for a moment to kiss me in a thoroughly inappropriate manner for a public street.

We took off quickly and I glanced over at my husband. Husband...what an odd thing to say. It sounded strange in my head but at the same time it seemed right. I watched as he exuded his desires, his body tense in anticipation as he turned onto the mountain road.

"I think you need some release," I whispered as I reached over to place my hand on his upper thigh. He swerved a little and then looked sheepish once he righted himself. Damon rarely lost control and it was nice to know I was the cause of it.

"Maybe..." he replied.

"Do you know what I'm going to do to you?" I asked suddenly. I leaned over to whisper my plans and watched with pleasure as his hands shook on the steering wheel. "When I'm done with you, you won't remember your name."

"Mmm...I only want to remember your name and the fact that you won't be walking tomorrow," he replied. He slid to a stop in front of the house and dove for me, his hand sliding up under my dress while the other one tangled in my hair. He tugged at the veil insistently and I reached up to un-attach it.

"Damon...oh God!" I heard myself moan when his fingers dipped between my legs for a moment. He kissed me suddenly and my fingers fumbled for the chair release. Suddenly I fell back and he followed me, lips seeking and fingers teasing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tugged him up from the tops of my breasts where his lips had settled.

He pulled back suddenly and I heard the door slam behind him. I panted lightly in the seat and looked down at my dress, mussed and pushed up for his wandering hands. The door was ripped open and he pulled me into his arms. I settled against his chest and he kicked the door shut rushing for the door.

"Damon we have all night," I said before pressing kisses to his neck. He groaned as he fumbled with the keys.

"I have got to get you inside!" He insisted as he shifted me in his arms. Finally he unlocked the door and threw it open. I don't think he bothered closing it as he ran up the stairs, me bouncing around in his arms.

I slid onto the bed while he stared down at me with a smirk on his face. He was telling me he had me right where he wanted me and I was at his mercy. He didn't seem to realize he would be at mine soon enough. I laughed as he made a show of stripping off his shirt, twirling it around him like that stripper Caroline hired a few years back. He gyrated his hips a little and I laughed.

"Should I give you a dollar?" I said playfully. He leaned forward and nipped at my outstretched hand, pulling it up then to rest on his chest.

"Don't worry, I'll take my payment later," he said with a lecherous grin. He pulled back from me and began his own little dance, tugging on his belt. My lips parted as he put on his show. Sex was always fun with Damon and if he wanted to play then I would gladly go along with it.

"Dance for me husband," I demanded. He smirked and began his shimmy, gyrating, and undressing combo. Every so often he would come close enough to drag my hands over his body or to reach out and remove something from mine.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked as moved in between my legs, his body as naked as the day he was born. I reached up to trail my fingers over each muscle, tracing each bulge on his slender form. I knew every inch of his body but somehow every time was like the first time with him. Every touch seemed new and every kiss made me feel like I'd never been kissed.

He pulled me to my feet as he unzipped my dress. As it fell to my waist he bent down to help me step out of it. He kneeled at my feet and helped me slide out of my heels, pushing them underneath the bed. The dress was thrown over the nearby armchair and he tackled me to the bed.

"Damon!" I laughed loudly as he nuzzled my cheek. I wrapped my legs around his hips and he groaned. He was so hard and I was so ready for him. He reached to unclasp my bra and I arched to help him. As soon as it hit the floor, his fingers moved to my underwear which joined the bra soon enough.

Naked and pressed together, I had to take a moment to stop us. He looked at me questioningly but I smiled encouragingly.

"I love you," I whispered. He smiled and leaned down to kiss me gently.

"I love you too," he replied. For a second he looked pained and I reached up to soothe the line that formed between his brows.

"What's wrong?"

"I almost lost you. What if you had married that asshole?" He said suddenly. I never knew how much he hated Matt but his eyes were shooting daggers at the wall and I suddenly knew Damon could be dangerous.

"Shh...I'm here with you. But on the other hand, is it really the time to discuss this?" I asked. "I mean I'm kind of naked beneath you and you're worried about what ifs?"

"Good point, good point," he replied. "Now where was I...?"

"Oh...Damon...!"

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It was too damn bright in here. I slid forward and clawed out from under the quilt, reaching for a pillow. I didn't get far when Damon gripped my hips and pulled me back down so he could resume using my ass as a pillow.

"Damon," I whined.

"Shhh...its sleepytime..." he mumbled. I huffed as I dragged the pillow under my head. After hours of love-making I was surprised I even had the willpower to grab the pillow. My legs were like jelly and I turned to see Damon's leg stuck out of the bed, too tired to drag it under the quilts. We were animals.

As tired as he said he was, his fingers were trailing up and down my legs. They tingled from each swipe and I sighed in contentment. As I started drifting off I suddenly realized Damon was huddled under sheets, blankets, and quilts and pressed so tightly against me he couldn't possibly be able to breathe.

"Are you okay under there Baby?" I asked softly.

"Mmhmm. What time is it?" he asked. The quilts moved a little as he shifted slightly.

"Um...nearly ten! Shit!" I screeched as I tried to sit up.

"Fuck stop that," he hissed.

"Damon do you realize what this means?" I replied as I still struggled to get out from under him. "Damon, fuck! Don't do that!" I screeched when he bit my ass.

"Well stop squirming! Your husband is trying to sleep," he growled.

"Men," I mumbled.

"There better not be an e in that 'men' because I am the only man you should be worrying about," he replied with another soft bite.

"Damon I slept through the night and I'm not hurling into a toilet!" I explained as I reached out to swat at his exposed leg.

"Smack me again Baby!" he commanded playfully. "It hurts so good."

"Damon! This is not a joking matter!" I replied. He chuckled a little and pulled himself up. He slithered up, hands sliding along my body until his black hair popped out from under the quilt. I turned and wrapped my arm around him until he was hovering over me.

"Hello beautiful," he whispered as he leaned in for kiss. "You are looking particularly sextastic this morning."

"Sextastic?"I asked as I rubbed the new scruff on his cheeks.

"Mmm...you better be satisfied because it might take me a day or two to get it up after last night," he said.

"Did I tire out the Sex Master? Did lil 'ol Elena Salvatore tire you out?" I asked softly.

"Yes Mrs. Salvatore, you tired me out," he replied simply. I smiled, smug in my abilities before giggling.

"Okay so I think I'm wrecked down there," I admitted. "Do you think it could be permanent numbness or is that normal?"

"Oh I think you'll be fine," he replied with a chuckle. "Should I kiss it and make it better?"

"Oh I don't think I could even fee-DAMON!"

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"So did you have fun this weekend?" He asked and I saw him glance at me out of the corner of his eye. I smiled and reached out to put my hand on his thigh.

"It was the best weekend of my life," I replied honestly.

"Good. I would feel like a failure as a husband if your first married weekend wasn't up to standards," he said. "So honeymoon?"

"Wasn't that the honeymoon?" I asked. He chuckled like I was stupid and I turned to glare at him. He reached out to rub my cheek as he turned into town. Mystic Falls never seemed to change but it was always welcoming when we returned.

"No silly. That was Valentine's Day. We'll go somewhere else for our honeymoon. How about next month?"

"Spring Break? It's not really...well I can't enjoy alcohol," I answered.

"There are plenty of drinks that can be enjoyed without...okay yeah I can't even say that with a straight face," he laughed. I rolled my eyes in response.

"Really?"

"I was thinking about the whole bonding, sex, vacation, sex, hotel...sex part of it," he replied.

"You make it sound like we never slept together before we got married," I said thoughtfully. "Why is that?"

"Because you are my wife and for some reason I can't get enough of you now," he answered simply. "Don't get out of the car."

I glanced up as we turned down the driveway towards home. I glanced down at the wedding ring and thanked God we would be home alone for a few days before Stefan came home for the weekend. Would he be pissed?

Damon parked and got out, rushing around to my side of the car. Once opened I was whisked into his arms.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"It's customary for a husband to carry his wife over the threshold. I googled it," he said proudly.

"You...googled it?"

"Well I don't know the first thing about the traditions surrounding marriage. I took my best guess," he said as he shouldered open the front door.

"Seriously?"

"Well yeah. Welcome home Mrs. Salvatore," he said as he pushed the door shut. I pulled him down for a kiss and just as our lips were about to meet I heard something that scared me to death.

"MRS. SALVATORE!" Damon's mother screeched. Apparently they had returned home while we had been away. All I could think was, 'Shit!'

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So..yeah he "googled" it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

I'm working on review responses tonight so many of you will hear from me soon!

Follow me at Tsukikomew (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Please leave a review. I always respond and they make my day!


	5. Meet the Parents

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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_**Four Years Earlier**_

It had been a long day filled with arguments and disappointments all around. Dear old Dad wanted me to join the family business and "make something of myself". Apparently Stefan knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life so I needed to know more. I sighed loudly in the loneliness of my room and thought about all the "choices" open to me.

I guess I could go become a lawyer and be miserable. Or a doctor and be miserable. Oh there was always a businessman and...being miserable. I hadn't even wanted to go to college but here I was, graduating in three weeks.

"You shouldn't look so depressed," Elena said as she slipped into my room. She was in shadow and I rolled over to seek her out.

"I'm just depressed," I replied before sitting up to find her in the room.

"What if I could make you feel better," she purred. Immediately my body seemed to understand what she meant and I was ready for her. She slipped out of the shadows wearing something so sinful it made me blush. The strips of red fabric barely covered her and my eyes darted to the crotchless underwear and I felt my mouth pop open.

"E...Elena?" I croaked as she sauntered closer. Her hands reached out and shoved me back against the pillows. I fell back with a huff as she climbed on top of me, straddling my thighs. Her fingers rubbed over my chest and I let out a gasp.

"You said I should take what I want and I figure you could use some cheering up," she whispered as she leaned down to kiss me. Her lips were coated in that mango lip gloss I loved and I clutched her to me as I plundered her mouth. She was so sweet and I wanted a bite.

"Damon," she whimpered when my hands slid down to cup her breasts. They popped right out of the fabric and I cupped them, tweaking her nipples until she was begging. Her hips swiveled under my expert hands and I smirked. She was still practically a virgin but it was amazing to be a part of her education.

"That's it Baby," I whispered as I rolled her beneath me. She went willingly as I parted her legs in one swift movement. We could play all night but I wanted her now. I always wanted her and I couldn't understand it. I'd had women, many women but somehow I always came back to Elena. She would smile at me and I would drag her off somewhere for a quick fondle and more recently, sex.

Her legs locked around mine as I thrust intently into her body. Her head was thrown back and her hair flew around her to rest on my pillows. Her fingers raked down my back as I lifted her leg up higher on my hip. Her answering moan sounded like music and I kissed her, swallowing her cries.

Throughout the night we made love and again and again until she finally tried to crawl away from my wandering hands and warm kisses. She collapsed in exhaustion and I cuddled up behind her, content and happy for the first time that day. I couldn't have known we'd wake up to yelling.

"OH MY GOD!" my mother screeched at 7:30 in the morning. Elena woke up with a start and then burrowed under the sheets once she realized who was there.

"What do you want Mom?" I groaned as I reached to tug Elena back up. We also cuddled and talked in the morning and I could care less about my mother's outrage. It was talk, cuddle, morning sex and I intended to keep with tradition.

"What the hell are you two doing?" She screeched again.

"Casual sex Mom. Could you close the door on your way out?" I asked as I rolled onto my stomach to try and pull Elena out from under the covers. While I usually loved her down there, now was not the time for her to be near my engorged morning parts.

"Casual sex? You aren't in a relationship?" She asked suddenly.

"Just sex Mom. Now do you need something?" I asked as I came into contact with Elena's breasts. A few fondles and she reared out from under there in order to fend off my wandering hands.

"I...I don't even...we will never speak of this again," she said firmly before slamming the door behind her. I could hear her mumbling as she went down the hallway but by then I was too interested in the location of Elena's mouth.

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_**Present**_

Many a men quaked in front of their mothers. I simply freaked out internally and stayed frozen until I heard a distinct:

"Ow! Shit Damon!" Elena called. My eyes left my mother's and I glanced down to find Elena sitting on the floor staring up at me with anger in her eyes. "That hurt!"

"Oh God Elena, I'm sorry," I replied ass I bent over to scoop her back up. She looked like a ruffled bird, as she flailed in my arms. I pulled her up and kissed her cheek gently in apology. She glanced up at me and smiled a little, reaching out to rub my cheek.

"Excuse me," my mother said, clearing her throat. "Would someone explain to me what you meant by Mrs. Salvatore?" I was silent as Elena struggled to free herself and I finally lowered her to her feet. She looked from my mother and back to me until she started laughing. She bent over and rested her hands on her thighs as she laughed loudly.

"Elena?" I said.

"You...look...so...funny!" she wheezed. I felt the glare creep up on me and I reached over to poke her.

"Not funny," I said as she continued laughing. I forgot my mother as I watched Elena, her hair thrown whirling around her and her skin glowing. She was perfect and I wanted to drop down and just rest my face against her stomach in contentment. Things were lining up and I was so happy. I couldn't believe how tense things had been a few days ago. Now we were happier than we'd ever been.

I reached out and tugged her into my arms and she came into them with a giggle. I kissed her gently and her sparkling eyes showed her happiness. My hands slid down to her hips and her arms wrapped around my neck as we lost ourselves in the moment.

"Eh hem!" my mother coughed. We broke apart sheepishly and I remembered that time she found us in bed together when Elena was 19. Luckily I had awakened the animal in Elena and not even her embarrassment stopped our sexual encounters.

"Sorry Gianna," Elena said sheepishly. She tried to remove herself from my embrace but I held her firmly against me. I gestured for my mother to go into the parlor and she sighed as if this was some sort of resistance on our parts. She finally shrugged and moved into the Parlor, sitting down gingerly on the loveseat.

Elena moved to stand by the large windows and I sat down in my usual chair as I tried to figure out how to tell her we got married. Oh yeah, and we were having a baby. I wonder if she'd like having a grandchild so suddenly.

"We got married on Saturday," I said quickly.

"You what?" she screeched. Elena looked pale and I turned to watch her. She hadn't been sick the past few days and I think we were both waiting for a sudden trip to the bathroom. Our eyes locked and I smiled at her when she giggled a little. She was thinking about our tryst in the closet and the handcuffs. I just knew it. She was perfect in her domination and I loved her for it. I rarely gave anyone control but when she snapped that riding crop, I fell into line.

"You knew we were engaged and I just couldn't wait another day," I replied. My eyes locked with Elena and the room fell away as I watched her, a smile creeping across her face. Her hand was on her hip but her fingers crept out to press against her stomach. I itched to reach out and join her but one thing at a time.

"We were going to plan such a beautiful wedding. How could you take that from us?" she replied. She stared at me intently before continuing, "Weddings are for the family and you were my first."

"I'm sorry but we wanted to get married and we did. You can throw your party or whatever but it won't change anything. We got married exactly when we were supposed to do so," I answered.

"Damon," Elena whispered. I glanced over and saw her clutching her stomach before she raced out of the room. I stood quickly and shook off my mother's call as I raced to the bathroom. I found her clutching the toilet, heaving her breakfast into it. I sunk to the floor with her and tugged her hair back.

"Damon! Is Elena all right?" my mother called through the door. I ignored her for the most part as I took care of Elena. She looked miserable and I hated being completely useless when she was stuck in here.

"I think...I may be done," she said hoarsely. I nodded and reached up for the cup we kept on the counter. I poured the glass of water and handed it off to her. She sipped it slowly and I reached out to rub her neck with soft touches. She was tense in anticipation of needing to resume the vomiting.

"Are you all right?" I whispered as I slid her against me. She nodded a little and then sat forward again.

"Can you get my toothbrush and some toothpaste? I want to brush my teeth," she explained. I nodded and stood, leaving her sitting on the floor. Oddly enough my mother was not standing outside the door and I couldn't help but wonder where she went. I raced out to the car to rummage through her bags. Her toiletry bag was at the bottom but wasn't that how it always happened?

As I walked back into the house, I saw my mother standing in the doorway staring at Elena. She was holding a plate of saltines and a can of soda. She slid inside the doorway and I moved closer to hear what they were saying.

"How far along are you Dear?" my mother asked quietly. Elena mumbled her answer and I froze. How would Mom act? Would she be okay with it? She moved inside the bathroom and for the first time in my life I saw my mother sit down on the bathroom floor and reach out to stroke Elena's hair.

"When I was pregnant with Damon, I used to spend hours in the bathroom. I have to tell you how lucky you are to have Damon willing to sit with you. Most men are too disgusted," she said.

"Trust me, I know how lucky I am to have Damon," Elena replied. Didn't she realize how lucky I was? Well okay maybe we were both lucky but I was luckier!

"Honey is this why you two got married?" my mother asked and I nearly roared in there in anger. Elena couldn't possibly think we got married because she was pregnant, could she?

"Oh no, definitely not. You know Damon doesn't do anything because someone tells him to," she said and I had to smile. She knew me so well. "When Damon asked me, I just knew that's what he wanted."

"And you?" my mother asked.

"I've wanted to marry Damon forever and when he decided to persuade me to get married, I couldn't say no," she replied. "After all I've loved him for years."

"But are you ready Dear? You're having a child and now you've entered into marriage with very little planning. Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'm ready to be a wife and mother with Damon by my side. I'm ready to start our life together and it's not like everything is changing. I'll still work at the Center and we have our love so I think we'll be fine," Elena said.

"Well as long as you're sure. You will be loved deeply by my son as the Salvatore men love intensely, but you know that already," my mother said.

"Gianna, are you okay with this really?" she asked quietly. I knew my mother's opinion meant so much to Elena and I had to worry about her reaction.

"I think at this point in our lives you can call me 'Mom' or something. You've practically been my daughter since you were five but now you truly are my daughter-in-law," my mother explained. I heard the tears start and when I finally went through the door I found the two women in my life, crying together on the floor in each other's arms.

"I have your toothbrush," I offered lamely. Elena sat back and wiped her eyes, laughing a little as she did so. She reached out to take the items as I leaned down to help my mother off the floor. She laughed as she stumbled forward and I righted her.

"Oh Damon, you've really done well," she said as she waited for Elena to finish up. "You better not screw this up or I may have to disown you!"

"Mom!"

"What? It's true!" She said with a shrug. "I have to say this is much better than finding you two in bed together. That was very scarring."

I reached out and wrapped my arm around Elena, leading her into the kitchen where Mom started making green tea for herself and Elena. She didn't bother asking me since I wouldn't drink it. I was a coffee and alcohol drinker and not much else.

Elena and Mom talked about a variety of things she had missed in their three month European vacation. They spoke about Klaus and the Center as well as Stefan and his good friend Elijah. As Elena told her about moving into my room and us closing up her old one, I realized something.

"We should get our own place," I blurted out suddenly.

"What?" Elena asked. The room grew quiet and I found two women staring at me intently. I rolled my eyes and sipped my coffee.

"We should get our own house," I replied. It seemed so simple and since everything else worked out, why not this?

"D...Damon? We just got married and now you want to buy a house?" Elena asked incredulously.

"I don't mean immediately but yeah. I think it would be nice to start our family in our own place," I explained. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. We could make it the way we wanted and the kids could grow up in one place. Maybe a dog..." I trailed off.

"Why don't you two take your time on that one? You two are newly-weds and you wouldn't want to rush," Mom said. I glanced over at her and narrowed my eyes. She wanted us to stay right here now that she knew her first grandchild was on the way. If we didn't get out soon then we might never leave. That was simply not an option.

"I think we should at least wait a little before making such a big decision but we can talk about it," Elena offered. I lifted her hand and kissed it gently before standing.

"I have some errands to run so do you think you'll be all right with Mom?" I asked her.

"Yes. I'd like to hear some of her pregnancy stories. You were such a cute baby," she said with a smile. She had reason to smile. My baby pictures truly highlighted a cute baby that would become the sexiest man in town. A little smile, a little gurgle and I could get anyone to do anything I wanted. Let's face it, the pictures only got better.

"Mmmm...I'll get our pictures printed from the camera so we can add them to the photo albums," I replied. The last ten would only go in my private stash so we could enjoy them together. God they were sexy!

"Damon, don't you dare print those ten at the store! You print them at home, you hear me?" She called as I left the room. Did she think I was stupid? I didn't want them to have the opportunity to see my wife naked.

"Don't worry! They're for me!" I called back.

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"Can I get you anything else Mr. Salvatore?" The young clerk asked. I glanced around the shop again and my eyes fell on a red baseball hat.

"Yes, I'll take that hat and could you put it in one of the gift bags?"

"Of course Mr. Salvatore!" she replied obligingly. I knew it would be perfect for Klaus and his old hat was so old, it had holes in it. His birthday was coming up shortly and Elena had been trying to get him for another week even though that was basically unheard of at the Center. It was hurting her to leave him there day after day. I'd have to resume trying to adopt him now we were married.

"Damon?" I spun around and saw my father holding a newspaper and a cup of coffee. I hadn't seen him in three months and he looked exactly the same. He seemed gruff usually but today he was looking surprisingly relaxed. I guess a European vacation would to that to a person. He moved closer to me and I stood frozen. He was the only person who could make Elena's life miserable until we moved out. While he seemed to like her, he never cared for our close relationship.

"Dad! How are you?" I asked. He smiled and sipped at his coffee.

"Oh great, great. Your mother's at the house," he said.

"I know. We ran into her when we got home," I said. There was no reason to clarify since he knew who I meant. It was always Elena.

"Yes. I'm told 'Congratulations' are in order. Your mother is very pleased about your marriage. She called me right after you left," he said.

"Yeah. We're very happy," I said quietly.

"Well don't look so put out Damon. I'm very happy with these events. It took you far too long to get married and now you've found yourself an excellent wife," he replied. My eyes shot to his in surprise. He always seemed tolerant of Elena and nothing more.

"Dad?"

"I was getting a bit worried she might marry someone else with the time you've been wasting. Your mother was beside herself with worry." he explained. "Your mother nearly confessed her wishes when Elena was so close to marrying Matt Donovan."

"Dad, I thought..."

"I didn't like Elena?" He asked. I nodded as I tried to understand what was happening. "Son, you rebelled against anything I thought was good so I pretended to be indifferent so you would go after the girl. When that didn't work we were afraid to go the other way. What if you were stupid and blew it?"

"You were afraid I would stop caring for Elena if you liked her? That's stupid," I replied. God parents could be stupid sometimes.

"Here you go Mr. Salvatore," the clerk offered as she handed me my bag.

"Is that for Elena?" my father asked.

"No it's for Klaus. He's the little boy Elena and I sponsored over the holidays," I explained. "I'm trying to adopt him but we weren't married when I originally tried..."

"You two are looking to adopt? Do you think you're ready? You just got married!" He asked incredulously.

"We love that little boy and it's killing Elena to leave him at the Center every day. I don't like it either and I want to bring him home," I replied.

"I could make some calls and see if I can't speed things along," he offered. "Consider it a wedding present."

"Dad...thanks. I'm actually working out another sponsor visit for his birthday but I don't want to get Elena's hopes up." I replied as I handed my credit card over. She rang up the purchase and the two of us went outside to walk towards the Center.

"You love this boy?" He asked quietly.

"I didn't think I would but I hate him not being home with us and the house just seemed too quiet without him," I said.

"Damon, do you think you are ready to be a parent? It's not always fun and games," he said soberly. "Sometimes your kids hate you and other times they love you. It's difficult sometimes."

"Dad, I'm sorry. I know I was difficult when I was younger but things are different now. I'm different," I said with a sigh. "Elena told me no one really is ready for kids until it happens and I believe her. We certainly weren't expecting it."

"Wait...Elena's pregnant?" He asked, stopping on the street. He grabbed my arm suddenly and I saw the newspaper tumble to the ground. "Your mother didn't tell me that."

"Yeah, we found out a week ago. I wasn't exactly happy at first but I really want our baby now. I just love her and this baby," I explained. "I don't know how to describe it."

"You're ready then. Maybe you aren't ready for everything but you're ready to try Damon. I'm proud of you," he said warmly.

"Dad...that means so much to me," I said softly. For the first time in my life it seemed like we were on the same page and maybe we could be close.

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Give thanks to Dark-Supernatural-Angel for the dropping Elena scene. I just pictured it and loved the idea! So this time Giuseppe's not a bad guy…imagine that? We're headed for adoption issues, sponsoring Klaus for his birthday, and discussions over house buying. Sounds like fun right?

My mom swore Pepsi took away her morning sickness and the doctor told her it was impossible. It worked though.

I'm still responding to reviews but they make my day! Thank you for leaving me feedback and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Follow me at tsukikomew (dot) blogspot (dot) com


	6. My Boy

This chapter is brought to you by the letter N, the inspiration of Neal Caffrey of White Collar, and the wonderful people over at the DE forums. Thanks guys!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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The weeks passed quickly once we'd returned home and I found myself settling in as Damon's wife. Our relationship had not changed, yet changed so much I wondered how it came about. It was little things that had changed or it was big things that hadn't but I loved being married to him.

There were things like the simple pleasure of being called Mrs. Salvatore by the Center kids. There were moments like opening a joint account at the bank that made it seem more official. Then there were the private moments when Damon and I would be curled up together discussing our baby or our plans to buy a house. We would curl up together on the window seat and talk about our day, kissing and cuddling innocently.

We would make love like we'd never been together and our intimate moments seemed so much more so. He played the game of seduction like never before in our past. He would seduce me like we'd never met before with soft touches and simple words meant to lure. Sometimes he was much rougher and would tear at my clothes in haste. Either way I was usually begging by the end of the night.

Sometimes I would turn the tables, asserting dominance when the mood struck. I would play the maiden that he fantasized about or the woman who took what she wanted. He loved them both and I had to say I loved all of our time together. We were absolutely in love and I hoped our feelings would remain. I loved the way I felt and I wouldn't give it up for the world.

Each day was pure magic and every day I couldn't wait to get out of bed and see what the day brought. We had our share of fights in the first few weeks of marriage but usually we sorted them out relatively quickly.

Gianna and Giuseppe or Mom and Dad as they wished to be called now fawned over me like I was made of porcelain. I couldn't lift a thing if they were around and often they found excuses to check on me during the day. Damon had been disappearing during the day but assured me he was working on a great surprise. I trusted him enough to not worry.

My days were filled with people coming to congratulate us on our news as well as time spent with Klaus at the Center. Two week after we returned I received a call from the Center about Klaus. He was deliriously sick and asking for me. I had rushed to his side and spoke to Dr. Bennett about the diagnosis. He believed it was the flu but urged me to be careful for the baby while I was there.

Damon found me there many evenings, sitting by Klaus's bed. He would pull up a chair and serve dinner for us while we watched this little boy who meant so much to us. Days passed and very little changed but I was sure he would feel better soon. It was sad to see him so tired that even Bekah would fall from the bed and he wouldn't notice.

"How is he?" Damon whispered as he slid into the seat beside mine. I closed the book I was reading and turned to face my husband. There were bags under his eyes and he looked so tired and I realized how much Klaus's condition was affecting him. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my forehead gently.

"A little better," I began, "he had broth earlier today and he's kept it down."

"That's good," he replied. "I brought you a sandwich and before you ask it's not tuna."

"Thank goodness," I answered. After my afternoon visit to the bathroom the last time I had tuna, I quickly realized I might never eat it again. He handed me a turkey sandwich he'd made at home and I dove into it. I knew it was the healthiest combination he could come up with since he was taking my nutritionist incredibly seriously.

"So you might want to pack him a bag," he began.

"What? Why?" I interrupted. He placed his finger over my lips and smiled when I nipped at it.

"I got permission for us to take him home. Apparently they don't want the other kids to get sick and they'd rather he recover in a quiet location," he explained. My eyes darted to Klaus and I realized I was incredibly happy with the outcome. I wasn't quite sure I could ever let him leave and I knew I had to put that aside. I would enjoy having him home with us and for now that would be enough.

"Oh! Damon!" I squealed as I launched myself into his arms. He hugged me and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"I want him home too," he whispered. "How about you pack a bag and I'll gather him up?"

"Don't forget Bekah," I replied as he put his chair back and began collecting Klaus's coat. He nodded as I tugged open his small dresser, pulling out clothes quickly to put in his little suitcase. Once zipped, I pulled Bekah into my arms and turned to Damon. He had wrapped the coat around Klaus and was slowly lifting Klaus into his arms. Klaus moaned softly and Damon muttered his apologies.

A few minutes later and Damon was sliding Klaus into the car next to me. He came limply and I wrapped my arms around him as best I could. Damon rushed to the other side of the car and we took off towards the Boarding House. Klaus was burning up and I wanted to put him to bed immediately.

"Don't worry, Mom is preparing his room," Damon said with a glance at us. "Dad's actually making that soup for him as well."

"That's good," I murmured. Damon got his cooking skills honestly although he was the superior chef. His parents had been clamoring to meet Klaus since they got home and I knew they would welcome him with open arms. In fact I doubted they would ever let him leave once they got to know him.

"You're going to be an amazing mother," he said suddenly. I glanced up at him and found him smiling. "I knew you would be but when I see you taking care of Klaus, I just know you are going to be amazing."

"You're going to be amazing Damon. You weren't sure you wanted kids and I see how you are with him. You're still wearing that bracelet he made you," I said softly.

"I love it," he replied. I heard the rest of his sentence...'because I love him' in my mind. It hurt Damon when we had to say good-bye to Klaus at the end of the day and he didn't know how to handle it.

We turned up the drive and I straightened in the seat as we neared the front door. Damon parked and raced around the side to scoop Klaus out of my arms before offering me his elbow. I pulled myself up and we headed into the house. Oddly enough Gianna and Giuseppe weren't standing close by.

Soon enough Klaus was being tucked into bed and I was at odds when it came to leaving him. He was burrowed under the sheets with Bekah clutched under his arm. His forehead was warm and I just wanted to sit down and watch him for signs of getting better or getting worse.

"No, Darling. You are coming back to our room and let Klaus rest," he said with determination.

"But..."

"No buts," he began as he steered me towards our bedroom. "Well actually I have one I really want to spend time with so...get on the bed."

"Damon!" I squealed as he pushed me onto our bed. I reached up as he crawled over me and pulled his lips down to meet mine. It had been too long since we'd done this and I was practically mewling in desire.

"Have I told you how sexy you look," Damon whispered as he kissed down my neck, unbuttoning each button of my shirt slowly. I inhaled embarrassingly loud as he lowered his lips to my heaving stomach.

"I've missed this," I murmured as I tugged his shirt off. Throughout the past week I'd spent the majority of my time with Klaus and I'd neglected my own needs. His hands fumbled under my skirt as he tugged my underwear off. My hands played at his belt as I pushed his pants down.

We slid together in our mutual need as he cupped my hips. My skirt pooled around his waist and I felt his pants slide a little lower. He kissed me fiercely as we moved together in a frenzy.

"I usually have more finesse than this," Damon stated as he grunted against my neck.

"Don't care...HARDER!" I commanded. He chuckled as his fingers danced down between my thighs.

Moments later I came to my senses and looked up at Damon's loopy grin. He laughed loudly and buttoned his pants. He tugged my skirt down and rolled onto his back, dragging me against him. I came giggling and smiling, satisfied and completely at ease. He stroked my back gently and I pulled myself up, our eyes locking.

I loved looking at him and sometimes I found myself just staring at him. I stroked his cheek thoughtfully as I memorized the way he looked at this moment. His eyes were icy blue and I thought about all the changes his eyes went through when he went through different moods. His hands slid over my hips as I leaned down to kiss him softly.

"What's going through that head of yours?" he asked.

"I'm just really happy," I replied. He smirked and looked awfully smug as he kissed me again. I slid down and settled against him, pressing my face to his chest in contentment. Suddenly the thought of a nap seemed like a really good...

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"Elena looks really pretty," I heard someone say. I opened my eyes and found myself staring at one sick little boy.

"Elena is gorgeous," Damon replied. When he noticed I was awake he said, "Well hello there Mrs. Salvatore."

"Hi, Elena!" Klaus said. I smiled and tugged the little boy into my arms. He was still a bit warm but his smile was enough to make him look healthy.

"How's my boy?" I asked as I hugged him.

"I'm feeling better," he replied as he hugged me back.

"Damon, a blanket," I demanded and he smiled as he wrapped the three of us up in a big quilt. He snuggled up close to the two of us and we lay back against the pillows.

"How about some cartoons?" Damon asked as he reached for the remote. Klaus burrowed down under the quilt and into my arms as he settled in for some quality time with cartoon characters doing things that defy physics.

"Oh how cute," Gianna said as her and Giuseppe slid into the room. Klaus squeaked and burrowed under the covers. "Aw is he shy?"

"Leave him alone Gia," Giuseppe said as he escorted her to the loveseat by the window. "How are you feeling little man?"

"Better," Klaus said. His voice was muffled by the quilt. Damon laughed as he stretched, sitting up against the headboard.

"It would make me feel better if you'd meet Damon's parents," I said as I lifted the quilt slightly. He bit his lip and reminded me of Damon when he was little. Damon loved playing fort and I would often find him under pillows and sheets. Klaus looked out at me like he'd been caught doing something naughty and finally crawled out from under the blankets.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Oh you're adorable," Gianna cooed as she watched us in bed. Giuseppe wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek before motioning to Damon to follow him. I looked at him questioningly but he just kissed my cheek and followed his father.

"I wonder what that's about..." I wondered. Damon had been evasive recently and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about them. I'm sure Damon's just preparing some sort of elaborate surprise like he always does...although I do wonder about Peppe," Gianna trailed off. "It's not like him to be so secretive."

"What should I call you?" Klaus asked suddenly. Gianna looked at him and blinked, surprised by his question.

"Well...Gia is fine or Gianna, I guess," she answered.

"Ok," he said sleepily. I pressed my hand to his forehead and realized it was still pretty warm. I cuddled him down against me and began to rub his back as his eyes closed.

"I think he's tired," I whispered to Gianna and she nodded. She slid over to me and sat down beside me Klaus and me.

"He's darling," she said softly. "He reminds me of Damon when he was little."

"Yeah. I've missed him," I replied.

"Have you discussed making him a more permanent member of this family?" she asked suddenly. I felt the tears welling and Gianna reached out to wipe the tear. "What is it dear?"

"We're newly married so we don't look like we have much stability," I replied. "Also I'm not sure that Damon wants that."

"Trust me, my son loves this boy and he wants him here as much as you do," Gianna explained. "And I quite like him as well."

"You barely know him."

"But you two love him and that's good enough for me," she replied. "I think I'll leave you two alone but I'll want to spend some more time with him when he's a little better."

"Thanks...Mom," I replied as she snuck out of the room, shutting the door behind her. It was just me and Klaus and I smiled as I snuggled him close. He was my boy even if it was only for today.

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"Damon, I'm tired," I whined as he tugged me up the front walk. This was the sixth house and I was tired. He was like a kid in a candy store as he had in depth conversations with the realtor. It was all square footage and number of bedrooms. He was asking questions about plumbing and roofing and I was left sitting on someone else's couch.

None of them felt like home but Damon was convinced they would find their dream home sooner rather than later. I had humored him by letting us start looking but I just wasn't sure I was ready to move out of the boarding house. With a baby on the way and at least for the time being, a little boy at home I just wasn't ready to lose the help Gianna and Giuseppe were offering.

Damon was completely ready to branch out and Bonnie called it nesting instinct. He wanted to create a place where I felt safe where I would feel protected. I thought it was a load of crap but then she was usually right about those types of things. Even while discussing all sorts of things with the realtor he kept stopping to check on me as if I would break.

"What do you think Elena?" He asked suddenly. I glanced around at the living room of some massive mansion with absolutely no homey touches and grimaced.

"I don't really like it," I answered truthfully.

"But you haven't even seen the upstairs," Jenna, our realtor replied. I shook my head firmly. This was not it and I wanted a break.

"Do you think we could take a lunch break?" I asked.

"God Elena! I forgot!" Damon replied suddenly. Within minutes he was ushering me down the street towards one of the restaurants.

"Damon, stop!" I commanded suddenly.

"What is it Elena? Do you feel sick?" he asked, pressing a hand to my stomach.

"No," I replied. "but we are going to have a very loud fight in public if you don't take your hand off my stomach."

He pulled his hand back quickly and stared at me intently. I fidgeted under his gaze for a moment before turning and walking towards the park. He stared at me in awe for a moment before jogging up beside me.

"I swear if you touch me right now, I'll rip your hand off," I threatened. He followed me for a little while until I sat down on one of the swings. He gripped the chains and moved behind me to push me a little bit. I slid back and forth as his hands pushed my lower back forward.

"What's wrong Elena?" he asked as he brought me to a stop. He moved to the swing next to mine and sat down with a sigh.

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"Yes, you do. What is it?"

"I'm not sure we're ready to buy a house," I began. "I mean, Klaus is still with us and with a baby on the way we might need help. Wouldn't it make more sense to stay home now and move out later?"

"Do you know why I want to move out?" He asked with a sigh. I really didn't know his reasoning but I did know once Damon put his mind to anything, it usually happened. He reached out to put his hand over mine and I smiled at his gentle touch.

"No, I don't," I answered.

"If we stay with Mom and Dad then we'll never leave," he replied.

"That's not true," I said.

"Elena, that is true," he said wryly. "We'll start out promising to move out after the baby is born but Mom won't want us to because we might need help. Then it will be when the baby is a little older but we'll stay because we might be ready to have more. Then it'll be we don't want to move because it's their home."

It made a lot of sense and I twisted to look at him. His eyes were downcast as he kicked at the dirt. His hand had fallen from mine and I reached out to place my hand on his knee. He looked up at me and I saw the worry on his face. He was afraid I was mad.

"You want us to start our life as a family together and not depend on anything else," I explained. "You really are ready for this and I'm...what if I said I was scared?"

"Of what?" He asked as he tugged my swing closer. He gripped the chains tightly and I looked up at my husband. He was watching me intently and I sucked in some air.

"If we get our own house then what if I'm bad at it?"

"Bad at what?" He asked.

"Bad at being a wife and mother," I mumbled. "I don't know anything about being a Mom and if we stay at the boarding house..."

"Then you'll have help," he finished. He let go of the chains and grabbed my face, pulling me in for a kiss. His hands cupped my face as he held me to him until I slid into his lap. "Baby, you are more ready than you think."

"Do you really think so?" I asked shyly.

"Baby, you take care of Klaus like he's yours and you've never heard him complain," he said. We swung forward suddenly and I squealed. "I know it's only been a few weeks but I'm the happiest I've ever been so you are the best wife I could have imagined. You're all mine."

"I love you," I told him before I kissed him again. He smiled broadly and pushed as backwards until we swung a little higher. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and just held on.

"I love you too," he said loudly. As we came to a stop, he lifted my hand to his lips. "Do you still want to stop looking?"

"No. I want us to find our dream house," I said with confidence. "I don't want to go through life questioning whether or not we could handle it."

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Irrational pregnancy hormones…fun huh? Well now we're headed into house hunting, Klaus, and general furthering of the pregnancy. Other characters will be coming back in shortly such as Stefan, Elijah, Bonnie, etc.

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Please leave some feedback. I am desperately trying to catch up on reviews but it seems inspiration keeps striking.

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	7. Balls, Wood, Floor

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas below.

This chapter is brought to you by morning wood. You know, cedar and oak are just wonderful in the morning.

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There was something incredibly rewarding to teaching a little boy something new. We were standing in the backyard and I was teaching him how to hit a baseball. It wasn't something many people thought Damon Salvatore could do but I loved sports. I didn't watch them but when Stefan and I were little, we were always playing football. Well all right we only played when I wasn't busy with Elena. Either that or she played too. She had a hell of an arm.

"Damon, I did it!" he shouted as he jumped up and down excitedly. He threw the bat to the ground and ran over to hug me. "Thank you! Thank you!" He was smiling broadly and I lifted him up into my arms.

"He's got quite an arm on him," my father said from a nearby seat. He had decided to join us since he deemed it an afternoon for men. Mom and Elena had rolled their eyes in sync when they were informed they couldn't come along. Klaus had been so excited to have a boy's day out; it didn't seem to bother him Elena wouldn't be with us. He was already becoming her shadow some of the times and she had expressed the need to separate for when he returned to the Center.

"He'll be a star player at this rate," I called back. It was strange having my Dad want to spend time with me and not berate my choices. He seemed to have accepted my marriage to Elena and psuedo-fathership to Klaus with very little issue. He even seemed to be taking on the doting grandfather role nicely. He played with Klaus and he was always bringing little things home for Elena and the baby.

He was incredibly happy about my relationship with Elena and he acted as though he masterminded the whole thing. For the first time in my life I had done something right by marrying Elena and being a part of giving them a grandchild. In an odd turn of events they had decided to leave me alone and now began pressuring Stefan to find a nice girl and settle down. The fact he had brought a friend home instead of a girl didn't sit well with them.

I was getting frustrated calls nearly once a day from Stefan. While I loved my brother he was becoming a serious cockblocker. He somehow seemed to know when Elena and I were getting down to business and the phone would start ringing until I caved and answered it. His complaints were a lot similar to mine and I had the joy of knowing it was finally Stefan's turn to suffer.

Unfortunately he spent a lot of time bitching and by the time I got off the phone Elena was sleeping. She often cuddled up against me and rubbed my chest or some other soothing motion as I listened to Stefan drone on and on about why he didn't have a girlfriend. Frankly I didn't care but I was getting fed up with it since it had been nearly a week since Elena and I had sex. It wasn't anywhere close to our record but I didn't want to start putting it off now.

"Damon! Throw it again!" Klaus called suddenly. I shook my head to clear thoughts of my brother. I glanced over at my father and saw him talking into his cell phone quickly and I heard words like adoption and paperwork. This was the call we'd been waiting for all week.

After he promised to try and help us adopt Klaus, he'd been working non-stop. Phone calls bounced around all hours of the day and he refused to talk about whether or not he'd made any progress. It was hard for me to be patient but after the tenth time I asked, he refused to say another word. The only positive thing about the situation was Elena not being aware of it. If she had been aware then I would have been driven crazy.

As I started throwing the ball to Klaus and retrieving it once he'd hit it, my mind wandered to Elena. She had passed seamlessly into her second trimester and had stopped dealing with most of her morning sickness. She had put on a bit of weight but it was all concentrated in that little baby bump she was beginning to sport. No one could tell when she wore her usual clothes but I could see it. I saw the way her hand would drift to her stomach and the look of wonder that would grace her features every so often.

Sometimes when I finally got her alone for the night, I would just stare at her. When she stripped off her clothes and moved to pull on her pajamas I could see her pregnant belly and I felt this feeling of pure happiness shoot through me. She was all mine and it sent a wave of possessiveness through me every time I saw her touching her belly. It was my child she carried and I was pleased to say the least. She could have ended up with that Matt Donovan. I may have killed him if she was pregnant with his child. I really hated that guy.

Every time I let my thoughts wander to those dark times in our relationship, she seemed to sense it and came to my side. She didn't put up with me lingering on negative thoughts so I would get a soft kiss and then a hard smack. She didn't allow wallowing and I had to enjoy her unique methods. She usually was insatiable that night and I was at her mercy which was a very good place to be.

"Damon!" Klaus called suddenly. I turned back to him and noticed he was pointing at Elena and my mother. They were approaching slowly and I noticed we had company. Elena was carrying a blanket and my mother was carrying two bottles, one clearly wine and the other some sort of sparkling cider. Next to them was Stefan carrying a large picnic basket.

"Hello there," my father called out and Elena waved back. It was a pleasant surprise to see Stefan and Klaus threw the bat down to run towards them, calling out to them in excitement. He hugged Stefan for a moment before launching himself towards Elena. She laughed loudly and he pulled the blanket from her arms. A true gentleman and I smiled in satisfaction since he was learning from me.

My father moved closer to me and clapped his hand on my back. I turned to look at him and he smiled.

"Three weeks, Damon. The paperwork should be in order by then," he whispered. I smiled broadly and turned to look at my boy with his mother. That's what he'd always been but now there was the future ahead of us. He would be ours in a few weeks and then we'd truly be a family. I thought about it and realized it would be a late birthday gift but Elena would love it either way.

"Are you sure?" I asked quickly.

"The only way it could go wrong is if you two decide against it," he said quietly, "I doubt you two will though."

"Elena would divorce me if I didn't. She's loved him since he was a toddler and he might call her Elena, but she's been his Mom since then," I explained. I couldn't continue because they got too close but I knew everything would be okay.

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There was something to be said for house hunting. I'm not quite sure what it was but either way it was an interesting experience. I knew we were looking for our dream home on our first go and it might not be completely realistic but I was Damon Salvatore and I always delivered. We were exhausted each weekend when we finally crawled into bed and discussed what we liked and what we didn't.

Elena wanted to stay close to the center of town which left us with few options. Homes didn't go up for sale in the middle of town often and we had to be willing to look at the newer developments. Nothing ever seemed to fit our criteria and it was becoming disheartening. Elena tried to be strong about it but I knew she was getting tired of looking.

I cuddled up behind her and kissed her shoulder gently. We had fallen into bed exhausted after another Sunday of finding nothing even close to what we needed. I reached out to brush her hair from her neck and I snuggled against her, dropping kisses on her neck. She made some soft noise as I reached down to press my hand against her stomach. She sighed in contentment and settled as I rubbed my hand over her skin.

Her t-shirt was annoying me but at least she didn't wear any underwear under my old college t-shirts. She practically swam in them but I loved her wearing them. It was wearing them to bed that bothered me. I wanted her naked always but after Klaus had flown in after a bad dream, she decided clothes were the way to go. Even now I was wearing boxers and I hated the little devils. Bedtime was my freedom and this was unacceptable.

"Shh...I'm sleeping," she whispered when my hand slid a little lower. "Sex later, sleepies now."

"But it's been nearly two weeks," I whined against her neck. I was rock-hard pretty much twenty-four/seven and she was playing hard to get. I nipped at her neck softly and she let out a small moan. I smiled against her skin since I knew I was winning. I glanced at the clock and smiled at the early time. We'd have plenty of time.

"Damon," she whispered when my hand slid up to her breasts. I grasped one perfect breast before moving my fingers to her rosy pink nipple. She arched her body, allowing me to grasp her body better. I nibbled on her neck as it strained against me in pleasure. She loved love bites and I could feel the tension filling her body.

"Mmm...I believe after making me wait twelve days, I should get to play with you for a little bit," I said firmly. "I think I want to make you pay." She moaned quietly as my hand slid lower to grasp her thigh as she turned to kiss me. Her lips were soft as they molded to mine. Her hand slid back to grasp at my hip as I kissed her slowly. I savored each second as I tasted her unique flavor.

"Damon, please!" she whispered against me as my fingers slid between her thighs. I found her wet and wanting and I groaned. It had been far too long. "I need you."

"Mmmm not yet," I answered her. Her leg slid against mine as she pushed forward against my fingers. She groaned when I moved my fingers away from her body. Her hips thrust forward suddenly but my fingers slid back to her thigh teasingly. "I've been so hard for you and you've been sleeping..."

"You tired me out with house-hunting and then you've been on the phone!" she cried out when my fingers dipped back between her thighs. Her foot slid down my leg in a soft caress as she sighed in pleasure. "Damon..."

"Yeah, say my name," I chuckled as I rolled her over. She came willingly and her fingers dropped to my boxers. The elastic slid over my hips and kicked them to the floor as I tugged at her shirt. It slid to the floor as I pulled her to me. Her teasing fingers managed to get between us, stroking me gently.

"So hard..." she said. "and all for me." She giggled when my lips parted in pleasure. Her eyes sparkled as she brought me to the edge, hips jerking and eyes rolling back. True to form her fingers fell away and I panted for a moment, glancing down at her smiling face.

"You know, I'm thinking you really like torture," I whispered as I slid into her body. She moaned as I rested fully within her, not moving. I wasn't going to last long but shit did this feel amazing!

"God I've missed you," she moaned. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me passionately. She felt so good so I couldn't help but move just a little bit faster. We had time for stamina later but right now we needed this! And fuck if I needed a little relief!

"I love you," I moaned. For the first time since we started sleeping together, I wasn't sure if she followed me over the edge. I spasmed a little and I felt her arms tighten around me as I sunk down to kiss the top of her breasts.

"Mmm...that was nice," she said softly. I kissed her breasts again before rolling over onto my back. She giggled quietly as she snuggled up against me. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

"Are you kidding? I'm having a moment of pure euphoria," I mumbled. She smiled and kissed my shoulder. She looked satisfied and I was pleased that at least I hadn't been selfish in the one place I prided myself on being unselfish.

"Mmm...do you think we have time for a quickie in the shower?" she asked as she pulled away. I opened my eyes and saw her standing nude by the side of the bed. I smiled and then watched as she moved into the bathroom. I laid back against the pillows, purely relaxed and incredibly happy.

"Wait did you say quickie?" I asked as I flew into the bathroom after her. Mmm...morning shower sex...

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"So what is today's appointment for again?" I asked her as she settled on the table. She looked a little tired and I steadied her as she slipped a little. She had been in a mood all week when she realized her pants were getting too tight. That had been a fun day.

All day she tried on all of her clothes. Our floor was an obstacle course and I watched in agony as each article seemed a little tight. The only things that fit properly were sweatpants and t-shirts. All of her pants were too tight for comfort and her favorite shirts were a little snug around the middle. Then her bras were too snug and her underwear seemed too small. How could it all happen over the period of a week?

My mother assured me it all seemed to happen that way during a pregnancy. One day you feel fine and the next you're hugging the toilet bowl. One day everything fits and the next you feel like a whale. The best thing I could do was be supportive and tell her how beautiful she was. Apparently it was only going to get worse.

"We get to hear the baby's heartbeat today," she replied. "Oh and apparently make me feel fat. I wasn't aware that was on the agenda though." I nearly chuckled but I curbed that desire. The nurse said she had gained a few extra pounds which was a bit ahead of schedule. She also commented how radiant she looked pregnant. Radiant apparently meant fat now.

"You're beautiful Elena," I said. She snorted and reached out to grasp her chin. "Don't do that! You are so beautiful and I love your baby bump." I reached out and rubbed it reverently. "It makes you so sexy."

"How? I'm getting fat," she whined.

"Because you are carrying a piece of each of us," I replied. She smiled and leaned in to kiss me gently.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Am I interrupting?" Dr. Bennett asked as he entered the room. Elena nodded quickly and he entered the room fully, shutting the door behind him. "So how are you feeling?"

"Tired," Elena answered. "Is that normal? I want to sleep all the time!"

"Sometimes pregnancy wreaks havoc on the body and you fell tired all the time. It's not abnormal but it is different for each woman," he answered. "How is your meal planning working?"

"It's good. Damon went to a few of the appointments and he's been cooking up a storm. It's like I'm not even trying to eat healthier," she replied.

"That is the key to eating healthy. If you don't know you're doing it then it is much easier to handle," Dr. Bennett replied.

He went through all the motions of checking her heartbeat and going over her chart. We discussed some upcoming issues she might face as her body continued to change. He expressed a little concern over her weight gain but said it could be completely normal. Some women gained a little more weight.

Soon enough she was laying back against the seat and I was holding her hand while Dr. Bennett readied the machine. We had an ultrasound as usual and he pointed out our baby. We stared at the screen in wonder as the doctor made some "hmming" noises.

"Damon, isn't it beautiful?" Elena asked tearily. I nodded and kissed her cheek. She looked happy and I smiled at all the good news I seemed to be receiving.

"So let's hear listen to the heartbeat, hmm?" Dr. Bennett offered and Elena nodded excitedly. She wanted to do this a few weeks ago but Klaus had still been recovering. So we waited and Elena grew more excited as we drew closer to the appointment.

The sound came out and I gasped. That was our baby. Somehow it made it more real to hear its little heartbeat. Elena had my hand in a death grip and I clutched back fiercely.

"What is that echo?" Elena asked suddenly. That's what it was! I knew something sounded odd.

"Well that would be the twin," Dr. Bennett replied.

"Oh..." Elena said. "Wait! Twin?"

"I wondered with your weight gain but I didn't want to plant the seed. We might have seen it sooner if you'd been able to come in earlier," he explained. "We'll have to adjust some plans a little for a multiple birth but for the most part you're right on schedule."

"Twins," Elena said wondrously as she reached down to touch her stomach. "How soon can we know the sex?"

"I would say 15 weeks at the earliest but perhaps closer to 18," he replied in a funny way. Why did his voice seem to be getting farther away? Why couldn't I feel Elena's hand? Why was the floor coming closer?

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He fainted :) !

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! I'm still working on catching up on replies but I figured you'd rather get a new chapter. "CMI" is up next!

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	8. Gingerbread and Dinner

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Ten minutes had passed with Damon laying on the floor and me cradling his head in my lap. He seemed to be completely out of it and I had taken over his care, urging Dr. Bennett to handle his other patients. Once Damon woke up we would head out and most likely I would drive. If Damon was feeling faint then he shouldn't be behind the wheel. That's just what we needed, a car wreck.

He'd never fainted before and I'd slipped off the table in my haste to reach him. Damon was breathing at least and there was no blood, thank goodness. I rubbed my fingers through his hair and tried to reconcile my feelings to twins. It was completely and utterly unexpected. While Damon and I did nothing in order or traditionally but still two in one go?

His face was pressed close to my stomach and I clutched him closer. Damon was the one who got distant and angry when something surprised him. Fainting had never been an option. I traced his cheeks and over his nose gigging as he wrinkled his nose to escape my tickling fingers.

"Damon?" I said softly. He groaned softly as his eyes fluttered open. He held my gaze for a minute and then pulled me down to kiss him. His tongue pushed into my mouth in a passionate kiss and I melted against him. His fingers gripped my cheek strongly as he dominated the kiss, swallowing my soft gasp.

"Hmm...why are we on the floor?" he asked softly. I glanced around remembering we were in the doctor's office. He was smiling when I turned back to him. He moved to stand and I helped him to his feet. Damon kissed my forehead gently and I looked into his eyes. He genuinely didn't seem to know what was going on.

"Damon...you fainted," I explained slowly. His forehead creased and he looked at me confused. He glanced around the room and seemed to realize where we were. He pulled me against him quickly and held me there. My face was mashed against him but I let him do this since it seemed he needed it.

"Twins," he whispered. "We're having twins." I didn't say anything as he held me to him. My arms wrapped around his waist and I pressed a kiss to the bare skin of his chest. His hands slid up to burrow in my hair as he tipped me up for another kiss.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. He pulled back and smiled broadly.

"What's one more?" he asked.

"You seem oddly calm about all this," I began. "I mean I'm happy and all but TWO?"

"I've reconciled myself to having a baby and now I'm really happy about it. I think one more will just be more to love right?" he said calmly.

"But...but you fainted!"

"Well it was a bit of surprise," he said quietly. "What do you say we go eat a quick lunch and then fuck in the laundry room? Mom and Dad took Klaus out for the day and we could do two cycles." He nipped playfully at my earlobe and I gasped. He was in a fun mood.

"Really? If you're a good boy, we can squeeze in three. Your mom wanted to wash the drapes from the dining room..."

"God I love my Mom!" he murmured as he grabbed my pants and shirt. I blushed when I realized I was still wearing a paper gown. "Aren't you chilly?"

"I didn't think...I was more worried about you," I replied as I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I knew I needed to go shopping but...would it mean I was getting fat? I glanced down at my protruding belly and grimaced. I love being pregnant but I hated feeling this way.

"Hey, stop that," he said. "I have an idea!"

"What's that?" I asked sadly.

"Why don't you call Caroline and Bonnie and go shopping? You could make a day out of it. You guys could shop for a new maternity wardrobe and do lunch," he said.

"That could be fun," I said cautiously. Caroline was a shopper and I would probably fall asleep somewhere between the pants and blouses.

"And you could always pick up some sexy lingerie, highlighting your...growing assets," he growled. His hands cupped my breasts and I nearly swooned. They were so damn sensitive and now he could make me quiver with one touch. Not as though that was abnormal with Damon.

"You seem to like my assets," I whispered.

"God your breasts are amazing. Do you think you'd hit me if I just buried myself between them?" he asked suddenly.

"Only in bed, baby. Only in bed," I said with a smirk as I tugged him out into the hallway. He laughed as his hands dropped to another asset, squeezing me until I swatted at him. He whined as I grabbed his hand and held it. If he wanted to hold something in public, it was going to be my hand.

With the card announcing my appointment in two weeks, clutched in my right hand and Damon clutching my left one, we finally made it out into the warm air. We were like teenagers as we walked towards the Grill. He spun me around every so often and I giggled when he tugged me into his arms.

Once seated on the outdoor patio, Damon pulled me up against him and began a heated game of footsie began. He was in a mood today and I giggled as he kissed my neck. I felt sorry for the sixteen year-old waitress who clearly had never had a boyfriend. She blushed scarlet and stammered as Damon ordered his entree. I sat back and watched as my husband charmed her completely.

A group of giggling girls came past and waved coyly. He smiled and waved before turning back to me, making it clear he could care less about their low-cut shirts and mini-skirts. It was nice to know I still could hold his attention over some skinny, firm-breasted sixteen year old.

"Don't you dare question your breasts," he whispered softly. I hadn't realized I said it out loud but when his hand crept up to squeeze one of them. Our meal passed with some fun conversation and one heated debate.

"Stefan is not gay!" I screeched.

"Oh come on. He never dates anyone and he brought Elijah home with him last time," Damon replied. He was munching on the last few fries as he argued his point and I just stared at him in disbelief.

"He's not gay!"

"Does it matter?" Damon asked suddenly.

"No, of course not but he's not gay," I replied. What Damon didn't know was Stefan's secret relationship had started somewhat recently and they were keeping it quiet. He didn't want anyone to know yet but after catching him having... an intimate phone conversation. He spilled the beans pretty quickly to keep me from telling Damon.

"Is he seeing someone?" Damon asked suddenly.

"Of course not!" I replied. His eyes narrowed and I realized I spoke too quickly.

"He is! Who is she?" Damon asked.

"I can't tell you," I replied. He smirked lightly. "I'll get it out of you on the dryer later so try looking a little less smug."

"You can try," I answered with a smirk. Who said he would be in control, anyway?

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"Twins!" Caroline screeched. Bonnie reached up and covered her ears as Caroline continued to ramble on.

"Yeah. Dr. Bennett told us yesterday and oddly enough Damon is ecstatic. I found him looking at cribs online last night," I said. It was true. At night Damon was looking for things like cribs and safety features on mini-vans. "Did I mention he wants to buy a mini-van?

"Damon Salvatore wants to buy a mini-van!" Bonnie asked, completely astounded. I could understand her feelings. When he'd shown me the brochure, I'd nearly fallen on my ass. He has laughed as we tumbled to the floor together and then we'd...

"Elena, are you okay?" Caroline asked. I shook my head and smiled.

"Yeah I was just thinking about Damon's...unique persuasion," I said. After a chorus of 'ews..." we moved on.

"So is Damon getting rid of the Camaro?" Bonnie asked. "My dad would love to buy it."

"You'll have to pry the key out of his cold, dead fingers," I replied. "That's his inanimate baby and no one can get him to get rid of it."

"So how are you feeling with two babies ravaging your perfect body?" Caroline asked. She had made it clear she didn't want children. It was a bone of contention with Tyler since his parents really wanted grandchildren. So Caroline handled it like she handled all conflict. She ignored it and hoped it went away.

"I feel pretty good. The morning sickness went away for the most part and my energy is a bit better. I feel fat though," I admitted.

"Elena, you're beautiful," Bonnie said. "Damon tells you right?"

"All the time," I replied. "He thinks I'm crazy and hormonal but he's been amazing. After his initial fear he's being incredibly supportive."

"Well at least he's doing something right," Bonnie said. Caroline rolled her eyes since we all knew Bonnie and Damon had their issues. Bonnie didn't like our friends-with-benefits relationship but had warmed up since we'd gotten married. Although she still seemed to expect Damon to screw up majorly and leave me crying.

"Bonnie, Damon is Elena's husband. Which reminds me, are you going to have a party for your wedding?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know. I don't really need it and Damon's in baby-mode right now. Well that and house-hunting," I said. They nodded appropriately as we left the food court and headed for the mommy store. They linked arms with me and seemed awfully quiet.

"What if we threw you a party?" Bonnie asked hesitantly. Caroline nodded excitedly.

"A party?"

"Yeah, we could throw you this huge party and do a combo-wedding/baby reception. That way Damon could be there too!" Bonnie explained.

"Yeah and think of all the presents!" Caroline said. I smiled broadly and thought about all the fun we could have with a party. Caroline threw gigantic raging parties and Bonnie would help keep it somewhat normal.

"I think it could be amazing!" I answered. "Promise me you'll try to keep it somewhat normal. Damon's parents will be there and also Klaus." Perhaps that would keep the booze to a minimum.

"Well no promises," Caroline said as she shoved me through the front door of the store. Immediately a worker came flying towards us, hands outstretched.

"Oh you are simply precious," she said as she put her hand on my stomach. "Boy or girl?" All I could think was...get your fucking hands off my stomach. The woman continued prattling on as she pulled me into the frilly pink section.

"Look, do you have something a little less frilly?" Caroline asked. I shot her a look that screamed 'STOP HER!'

"Well I guess we have some...grey clothes or something for a professional woman," she said sadly. "No one ever wants the frilly stuff..."

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The shopping had been done, thank goodness, and I had decided to go up a few sizes so I didn't have to visit the scary, creepy lady again. By the end of the day I wanted to get my precious babies away from her sugary sweet demeanor and the odd feeling she wanted me to come back to her gingerbread house.

I was in an amazing mood though. Caroline had found this amazing blue dress that was elastic enough to grow with me while I expanded into whale-like proportions. Her words, not mine. It swirled around my legs and I felt incredibly pretty. I also felt like a little girl playing dress up. Did I mention I loved this dress?

"Wow, you're in a good mood," Damon said. I whirled around and met his smiling face. "Dinner smells amazing, by the way."

"Thanks!" I replied as I moved towards him. I slid my fingers threw his belt loops and pulled him towards me. He came willingly and I fell into his arms. I kissed my husband passionately, allowing my happiness to seep in through my kiss.

"Mmm...you really are in a good mood," he said. I nodded vigorously as he spun me around to perch me on a stool. "Let me finish dinner, while you just sit there and tell me all about all shopping."

"Are you saying I can't cook?" I asked with a pout. He kissed me softly and chuckled.

"That is what I'm saying. Also, you've been on your feet all day and need a rest," he replied. He immediately reached out and picked up some spice, sprinkling it over the sauce. I had to wonder if I'd ever get cooking right. Damon always snuck stuff in while I wasn't looking to make it taste better.

"Someday I'll get it right and then you'll eat your words," I replied. One day I'd make something better than him and I'd have the upper hand. He chuckled as he stirred the sauce and I knew he'd pay for his lack of faith.

"Something smells good in here," Stefan said as he entered the kitchen. "Oh Good you took the spoon from Elena. We don't want to lose another pot, do we?" I threw a roll at his head and watched in pleasure as it bounced off his forehead and landed on the floor.

"It was one time!" I screeched. "You'd think I'd burned the whole set!"

"Well it was the Dutch oven," Stefan replied as he threw the roll into the trash. He came over to stand by me and put his hand on my stomach. "So how are the twins?"

"Fine, I guess. They aren't that big yet so pretty much anything is good to them," I replied with a sigh. "It's me that's exhausted."

"Well why don't you have a cup of tea and I'll help Damon with dinner?" Stefan asked softly as he pulled his hand away. I smiled gratefully and left the men to fight over dinner. There was something incredibly amusing when two men fought over dinner.

"No! Basil, Damon...Basil!" Stefan cried as he swatted Damon's hand from the spoon.

"Don't you ever do that again Steffy! It's a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese!" Damon said as he slapped Stefan's back. The two men argued about everything in the kitchen from spices to side dishes. I sipped my cup of tea and just enjoyed watching two men fawn, fight, and just be brothers.

Once upon a time they weren't so close or at least they pretended to be at odds. They barely spoke for a few years and it was breaking the family apart. It took one long summer to reunite them, a summer where I went away to be a camp counselor. Their relationship always seemed a bit easier back then when I wasn't around. Now they were as close as possible and I didn't need to worry about being around.

"Try this Elena!" Stefan said as he held a spoon of his special tomato sauce. I leaned forward and took a small taste, nearly moaning at the amazing taste. True to form Damon was suddenly there with a bit of his pasta dangling from a fork.

"Mmm...both are really good," I said as I finished chewing. Both men nodded and turned back to their creations and left me to my tea. I reached down to pat my stomach again. Fourteen weeks and feeling good. I could only hope to feel this great later in this pregnancy. While Damon had been unconscious Dr. Bennett had explained I could feel more tired, hungrier, and be suffering from small pains or swollen feet.

So far the hunger thing was becoming a rising issue. I felt like I was eating all the time and when I wasn't eating, I was peeing. It was getting kind of ridiculous. I was up at night peeing three or four times which was three or four more times than usual. Damon didn't even seem to notice until I had started sleeping in later.

"Elena, are you okay?" Damon asked as he wrapped his arms around me. His hands slid over my belly, pressing my hands tighter against me. He rested his chin on my shoulder and kissed my neck.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about Dr. Bennett and the appointment. He said I could feel the babies as early as this week or it could be a month," I explained. "I'm ready to feel them now."

"I know," he whispered. "Just think, three and half months down, only 5 and half left."

"Yeah. What the fuck are we going to do?" I asked.

"Shh...no swearing," he said. "We're going to do the best da...darn job we can and we're going to love them like we love each other."

"Well that would be creepy," Stefan chimed in. One more roll bouncing off his head, silenced him.

"You know what I mean," Damon said with an eye roll. He nuzzled my neck softly as he rubbed my stomach slowly. I leaned back against him and just let him take care of me. Massages were one of his strong suits and I simply loved them.

"Should I go?" Stefan asked when I let out an embarrassing moan.

"Sure take a hike," Damon said quickly. Stefan glared at him as I laughed.

"Stefan, is dinner done yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, are you hungry or something?" He asked as he spooned pasta and sauce into a bowl and set it in front of me.

"Thanks Stefan," I said softly.

"Hey, anything for my sister and my little nieces or nephews!"

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So not my favorite chapter…but it had to be done. I'm really excited to move towards adopting Klaus, the party, and finding a house but I needed to do a little set-up. I have to say my favorite part was the three of them discussing dinner. What about you?

I'm still working on review replies though…I know, I know I'm slow. I am working hard on them though. Next up is a chapter for "Clue Me In".

Please leave some feedback!

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Thanks!


	9. Signed and Sealed

Just a fun chapter ahead!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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It was a quiet morning and I watched the sun rise up over the gardens. Elena was curled away from me and I sighed. We'd had it out the night before over our house hunting and had gone to bed angry. I wanted to buy now but Elena wanted to just buy some land and build. If we couldn't find what we wanted then we had to build, obviously. I just couldn't do that. I wanted to move before the twins came and if we decided to build then it would be a year if not longer.

She shifted in her sleep and I reached out to rub over her back. Even in fighting or disagreements I couldn't help but comfort her. She was dealing with a lot of sleep issues and discomfort from her growing stomach. She slept on her stomach usually and now she was stuck on her side or back. All night there was tossing and turning usually until I pulled her against me and rubbed her stomach or hips. The soothing movements seemed to help and it was the least I could do since she was so uncomfortable.

She was feeling the babies now and I was jealous. She said it felt like flutters and I had taken to calling them butterfly flutters. I constantly found her sitting somewhere, touching her stomach in awe. I however, didn't get to feel them yet and I was more than just jealous. We still didn't know the sexes yet since another appointment had to be cancelled when I got sick. Elena wouldn't go without me so we put it off again.

"Damon?" I looked up and found Klaus staring at me from the doorway. It was too early for him to be up and I gestured for him to come closer. He crawled up into bed and I pulled him between Elena and myself. He cuddled down next to me and I wrapped my arm around him. The papers were in my desk. Two signatures and he was our son.

"Hey little man," I said quietly.

"Are you guys still fighting?" he asked softly. I met his sad eyes and realized he'd heard us the night before.

"No," I said simply. I had one house to show her today and if she didn't like it then we'd look into building. I wasn't going to fight with her over this. It wasn't good for the babies and it wasn't particularly good for us as a couple. Plus she had a point. Maybe building would be nice since it would be perfect but of course I had a plan in place.

"Did Elena cry?" he asked. Klaus hated Elena crying and I couldn't exactly disagree.

"No," I replied. "I wouldn't be here if I had." Klaus nodded and then laid his head down on my chest and I wrapped him up in my arms. As if sensing him Elena rolled over and threw an arm up over him and me. Apparently I was forgiven. I didn't like Klaus overhearing us but we rarely fought so it wasn't like it was an entirely bad influence. In fact it was sort of the first big fight we'd had since getting married.

"Mmm..." he said quietly as he got completely snuggled.

"Klaus, do you want to go look at a house with us today?" I asked quietly. He opened his eyes and looked up at me.

"Really?" he asked incredulously. We hadn't taken him with us before and he really wanted to go with us. I smiled broadly and nodded. He smiled and nodded emphatically. There was no more talking as he fell asleep wrapped in his soon-to-be mother's embrace. I leaned over him and kiss Elena softly, her face wrinkling at the sudden pressure.

"I love you," I whispered. She didn't reply so I snuggled up close to the two of them and drifted back to sleep, content with the world.

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"Damon, where are we going?" Elena asked suddenly. I refused to tell her where we headed to look at the house. In fact I had slipped a blindfold over her eyes. She had been hesitant but then took it when Klaus insisted. I glanced over at her, the picture of pregnancy with a swollen belly and the flowy maternity clothes. She had grown immensely in the few weeks and I couldn't keep my hands off her belly. She was having trouble keeping her hands to herself in general. Not that I could complain.

"That would be telling," I replied. This was a huge surprise and I hoped she'd like it. I had sort of...signed the papers already. If she didn't then I guess I could sell it again but I really wanted her to love it. She was being a good sport and I loved that. The car came to a stop and I turned to face her. She was smiling slightly, her eyes obscured by the black cloth. Her hands were folded over her stomach and I guessed she could feel the little butterfly kicks.

"Klaus you should get out on Elena's side. There's some traffic on my side," I said. He nodded and climbed out onto the nearby sidewalk, waiting for me to retrieve Elena. I waited for a neighbor to pass before climbing out of the car and running around to Elena's side. I pulled the door open and lifted her into my arms. She squealed in my arms as I swung around to face the front of the house. Klaus ran ahead, jumping up the front steps quickly.

"Damon? What are you doing?" she asked.

"I don't want you to fall on the steps and you can't take the blindfold off yet," I replied. She shook her head against me before relaxing. She was being oddly quiet about the whole surprise thing which made me wonder if she found the paperwork in my desk. Nah...she would have been yelling at me about buying it without her.

"Are we there yet?" she finally asked as I struggled to open the door. I rolled my eyes which she thankfully couldn't see. She was being cheeky and that was my job. If it had just been us I probably would have smacked her ass or something but...kids. Sigh.

"Yes could you be any more impatient?" I asked as I finally got the damn door open. Klaus scurried in, running towards the kitchen. I had granted him permission to explore and he seemed like the perfect little adventurer. I slid Elena to the floor and turned her to face me.

"Can I take it off yet?" she asked. I kissed her wrapping my arms around her and holding her to me. I hoped she wouldn't hate it. I didn't know if I could bear her disappointment this morning.

"Elena, I did something you might not...like," I began.

"What did you do?" she asked loudly. "You did not buy a house?" Damn she was fast at catching on.

"I...I bought it because it would go fast and I loved it. If you hate it, we'll sell it," I said quickly. "I think you'll like it."

"Damon," she sighed. "Fine, show me this mystery house." I turned her around and reached up to untie the blindfold, letting it fall to the ground. She blinked slowly and took a step forward, her hand reaching out to touch the banister. I stood back and watched her glance up the steps before turning to walk into the living room. She moved slowly but I remained frozen in the foyer.

Her hands rubbed over the windows and the fireplace mantle, sighing when she touched the stonework. She moved back towards the eat-in kitchen and I finally followed her. She still moved slowly, taking each inch of the place in silently. Klaus was nowhere to be found but I noticed the backdoor wide open. For a second I saw him dart across the backyard, chasing a butterfly.

Her hand slid over the granite counters, over the cherry cabinets and she leaned over the sink to look out the window at Klaus. I watched her as she reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek. I moved forward the moment I saw her tears and wrapped my arms around her.

"Baby, we can sell. We don't have to keep it," I said softly. I didn't mean to upset her. She leaned back against me as she cried softly and I held her tightly. Her hands met mine over her stomach until the tears subsided. She wiped at the remnants before relaxing completely.

"You bought it," she whispered.

"Yeah...I thought..." I started.

"I love it," she said suddenly. She turned around to face me and managed a smile. "You always surprise me. How do you do that?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. I was so unsure about this purchase, so unsure if she'd forgive me for this spur of the moment decision. She smiled again and pulled back, looking out the window at Klaus again.

"Twenty years ago that was me," she said softly. I nodded against her and watched him play. "Twenty years...has it been that long?"

"You're okay with this?" I asked again.

"Damon this was my home. To raise our children here, to live where my parents did is amazing," she answered. "I love it so much and it's so familiar. Are there a lot of changes?"

"They finished the basement into another bedroom, small office, full bath, and media room. It's beautiful down there. That's about it though. Oh they painted the upstairs but we could change that," I replied.

"I never thought I'd be here again," she said as she slid away from me to walk around her childhood home. When Jenna called me I couldn't let it go. This house had been sold out from under Elena when she was five and she had never forgiven her distant uncle for selling it. While she had gotten the money in a trust fund for college and other living expenses, she had always wished she could have kept the house.

"It came on the market three days ago," I said. "Jenna called when she saw it and I came over to look at it. I submitted the offer that day with the demand of a quick sell. The house was paid for so I wrote them a check and we signed some papers and here we are. Five bedrooms, three full and two half baths, eat-in kitchen, living room, two studies/offices, large front porch and huge backyard. It's perfect."

"It is!" she said as she spun back to face me. "When can we move in?"

"Really?" I asked. She nodded quickly and I saw the utter happiness move across her face.

"I think my parents would want us here. It's like they're here with us," she said. She looked around dreamily. "We'll need stuff to fill this big house."

"Well I guess we have to go furniture shopping," I replied. She giggled and launched herself at me and I lifted her, spinning her around the open part of the eat-in kitchen. She clutched me to her and I laughed in response. We had a house and there were only two more things to deal with today.

"So now what?" she asked as we slid to the floor. She was reclining on her arms with her feet sprawled out in front of her. I mirrored her pose as we watched Klaus play on the patio. She smiled at his enthusiasm and I found myself smiling along with them. "Damon!"

"What?" I asked as I spun towards her. She grabbed my hand and pressed it to her stomach. I was unsure what she was shooting for but soon I felt it. I could feel a little kick and I froze. "Is that...?"

"The babies are kicking!" she said. I rolled over to press both hands on her stomach and she slid back until she was lying on the floor. I leaned over her and pressed my cheek against the soft kicking sensations. She wrapped her arms around my neck as we felt the movements. Today was a great day apparently and everything was coming together.

"They stopped," I said sadly. The movements had settled and I was disappointed. I wanted more and more and more!

"Good because it was getting a little uncomfortable," she replied. I slid up to press a kiss against her cheek before sitting up. She slid her hands up over my arms until she could pull herself into a sitting position. She was starting to have trouble with that and I understood it was only downhill from here when it came to her comfort level.

"I have to get something from the car. Will you be okay?" I asked softly. She nodded and I stood up, moving towards the open back door. I smiled at Klaus when I saw him laying in the grass, sprawled out in exhaustion. I turned and ran out to the car, retrieving a little portfolio of papers.

I found Elena where I'd left her, laying down again and sprawled out. Oddly enough she and Klaus were laying in identical poses. I slid to the floor beside her and pulled her into a sitting position. She made some noises of protest but I was determined.

"Geez Damon, I was relaxing!" she said. I tweaked her nose gently and gestured to the papers. "Are they for the house?"

"Nope," I replied. She rolled her eyes but reached for the folder. "Nuh uh! I want to explain first."

"Fine," she said with a sigh. "What is it now?"

"What if I told you I am holding the adoption papers for Klaus," I said. Her eyes flew to mine and she ripped the folder out of my hands. A second later the folder was spread open on the floor as she stared at the legal documents.

"Adoption papers?" she asked softly. I reached out and gestured to one blank line.

"All we have to do is sign them," I replied. "Dad got the papers in this week and passed them right along."

"Peppe?" she asked. "He did this?"

"He helped. He said it's an early wedding gift. He made some calls and they pushed it through," I explained. "I know you've been worried about him going back to the Center but now...he'll be ours. Our son."

"You are just full of surprises today," she said as she gestured for a pen. I slid the pen into her hand and she reached down to scrawl her name on the line. I took the pen and signed underneath hers, sealing the deal and making it all legal. I'd have to file the papers and get a copy but for the moment we had just adopted a little boy. Elena was crying again in pleasure this time and she hugged me. At least I understood the tears this time. She had started crying two weeks before over a torn shirt. Scared the shit out of me.

As if sensing his sudden change in status he flew through the door and tumbled into Elena's embrace. He had dirt smudged on his face and she reached for her purse.

"How did you get so dirty in twenty minutes?" she asked as she wiped a wet cloth over his face. He wrinkled his nose at her rubbing but held still as she cleaned him off. Finally he was sitting between her legs and looking between us.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"What if we told you, you didn't have to go back to the Center...ever," I asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.

"What if we said you could come live here, with us?" Elena asked. She ran her fingers through his short hair gently. He leaned into her touch and looked up at her confused.

"Until they make me go back?" he asked.

"No little man. We're adopting you," I replied. He gasped loudly and looked up Elena. She nodded with a smile and he launched himself against her. She fell back against the floor as he hugged her. I followed them down and wrapped them into my embrace, holding my family in my arms.

"I have a family?" Klaus whispered.

"Of course honey. We're never letting you go," Elena replied. She had tears in her eyes again and she reached up brushing a tear from my own cheek. I hadn't realized I was crying but apparently we were a group of nuts. Three crying people lying in an empty house on the floor was a bit out of the ordinary.

"Are you my Mom then?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she said. "You can still call me Elena though. That doesn't have to change." I knew she wanted him to call her Mom but if it made him uncomfortable then she would let it go. She'd rather him be happy than herself.

"But I want to!" he insisted. "And you can be Dad!" He turned to me and touched my cheek softly. "Can I pick my room?"

"Go ahead," I said. He really only had three options upstairs and I had a feeling I knew which one he'd pick. Sure enough when we followed him upstairs, I found him in the medium sized bedroom. It was similar to the one he had at the Manor and it had been decorated for a little boy. He was lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling fan.

"Is this it?" Elena asked. He nodded and she smiled in response. Her room had been the largest of the three smaller bedrooms and I figured that would end up being the twin's room if they ended up being the same sex. It was the closest room to the master and I knew Elena wanted the babies close. As did I.

Elena moved towards him and slid to the floor beside him. Apparently we were going to spend a lot of time sitting on the floor today. I sat down behind her and let her lean back against me. Klaus still lay sprawled out next to us, silently mulling things over.

"Can we get a dog?" he asked. Elena looked up at me for a second with a playful glimmer in her eyes. The demands had begun.

"We'll see," she said. "We have to move and get ready for the babies before we can even think about getting a dog. Maybe a fish though."

"That's cool. We had a goldfish at the Center one time but Johnny forgot to feed it. They wouldn't let us get another one," he said softly. "Can I have it in my room?"

"I don't see why not," I replied. Little bits were starting to fall together with my newly formed family. We were really starting to discuss our lives together. We would be moving soon and having babies. We'd be getting pets and taking Klaus to school. We'd be starting our new lives.

"So when can we move here?" Klaus asked breaking the silence.

"Soon," I replied. "We have to buy furniture and I guess you could help pick out your own." He jumped up and hugged me. Elena gave me that little look that meant 'you're spoiling him' but I couldn't care. He was ours and I wanted to spoil him. In fact, I planned on spoiling them all. First Elena and Klaus then the twins. Maybe along the way I'd spoil myself a little but then...what could be better than this?

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So once again…review replies (sigh). I am working on them I PROMISE! I will work on them some more but up next is "Clue Me In". I had a lot of fun with this chapter! We're going to be seeing the upcoming party, doctor appointments, moving in, furniture shopping, etc. as they prepare for their new lives.

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Please leave me some feedback. I love reviews and I absolutely love incorporating some of your ideas into the story (sometimes minor and sometimes bigger). Thanks!


	10. Sexy Solutions

This chapter is brought to you by shirtless Damon.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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I sliced the bread slowly, wiping a stray bit of mayonnaise off the crust impatiently. The lettuce crunched loudly and I smiled at this moment of domesticity. It had been a week since we'd officially bought the house and we were already hard at work getting it ready. After a few hours of discussion we began picking paint colors and looking at catalogues. To be fair we hadn't really made a lot of decisions yet but one thing was certain, Klaus was getting his blue room.

All day Damon had been up there priming the odd pumpkin colored walls. It was a daunting task but he refused to take any help and when I suggested my help, he laughed. He was apologetic but in the end he wanted his "very beautiful, pregnant wife to sit down and just relax". I smacked him then but I think he forgave me.

If he could work all day then I could at least bring him lunch. I nearly dropped the knife when a particularly loud thunder clap echoed through the empty kitchen. Not only was it sooo hot but we had a typical thunderstorm raging constantly. We also were dealing with unfortunate lack of lamps so preparing lunch was fun in an almost dark room.

Thankfully Gianna and Peppe had taken Klaus for the day. Now that he was officially ours they were lavishing attention on their first grandchild. I'd only seen one other person spoil him so heavily and that was Damon. He had taken this boy in as his son with one signature and there was no going back. Damon always loved with his entire heart and Klaus had claimed a spot.

I turned from the darkening windows and grabbed the plate and water bottle. I moved down the dark hallway and turned to climb the stairs. It was a bit of a challenge and I'd started giving myself mini-pep talks. The twins had decided to become huge so I looked like I was 8 months pregnant but I was only about 21 weeks. Dr. Bennett seemed okay with the weight gain but I was not. I felt so unattractive and I didn't understand that myth about a glowing pregnancy. I just wasn't seeing it.

I moved down the hallway and paused in the doorway. The plate tipped a little and I tried to steady it by sliding the water bottle onto the can of paint inside the door. Then I leaned against the doorway and just stared at the god-like creature that was my husband.

He was shirtless and wearing only a pair of low-riding jeans. His muscles rippled as he moved the paint roller up over the wall. He was completely sweaty and I had this small fantasy rip through me about a cowboy carrying me off into the haystacks. As I closed my eyes to let that fantasy continue, I heard a loud thunderclap again.

My eyes shot open and were immediately drawn to his hips bones which were protruding deliciously from his pants. Was it normal to think painting was sexy? I slid the plate onto the floor and stepped forward a bit. He didn't hear me but now I could watch little beads of sweat roll down his back.

He slid the roller down and rested it on the floor, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Before he could do anything else, I slid my hands onto his back. He tensed for a second before melting against my massaging finger tips. I leaned forward and kissed his sweaty shoulder before biting down on the skin playfully.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm seducing my husband," I replied simply. I could feel his smile as my hands slid around to grasp his belt loops. "Any problems with that?"

"God no!" he breathed. I smiled broadly and pulled myself onto my tip-toes so I could nip at his neck. His hands slid back over my hips and I tried to decide how to handle our upcoming love-making. Okay...I was going to be in control, well maybe.

He turned around to face me but I was the one to pull him down to meet me. His skin was incredibly warm and I found myself just wanting to roll all over him. I liked slick skin and my hands were trailing all over it. His hands slid over my hips, tugging the skirt of my dress upwards until he could slide his hands around to my ass.

"What do you say we christen the room?" I asked softly. He glanced up at me before shaking his head. "What is it?"

"I feel weird making love to you in Klaus' room," he replied. I understood the feeling but before I could say anything else, he had me in his arms until we were in the master bedroom. Seconds later we were on the floor, rolling around to meet in the middle. I pressed him to the floor but stoked his face apologetically when I heard the soft thud from head on hard wood.

"So...what am I going to do with you?" I whispered. He hissed when I locked my lips around one of his nipples. I pulled myself over him and gave him a knowing look. He was going to lose his fucking mind.

I kissed his neck playfully, sinking my teeth in for one deep bite. Oddly enough we both had a little fetish when it came to biting. He could practically make me purr with a little nip. He groaned as I slid up his body, moving slowly with my pregnant belly. It was a little awkward but I was going to have my man, damn comfort.

His lips were incredibly warm as I kissed him, allowing my fingers to tease him in playful swipes. I sat up for a moment and his hands were immediately on my breasts, lifting them and letting his thumb rest on my sensitive nipples. I had to be careful or he'd quickly take control.

My hands flew out and I grabbed a nearby paint stirrer, smacking him with it lightly. He moaned embarrassingly loud before allowing himself to relax against the floor.

"Mmm...smack me again," he said playfully. I rested the paint stirrer against his skin and watched fascinated as his skin trembled beneath it. He liked it!

"You want me to punish you?" I asked hesitantly. We role-played and stuff but this was brand-new territory for me. His hands slid up to cup my face and he brought me down for a kiss. He smiled as he stroked my cheek gently.

"Take control Elena," he whispered. "It's sexy." He lay back completely and raised one eyebrow as if daring me to take control. Could I handle it? We'd played little bondage games and I could drag a riding crop over him playfully but I'd never imagined he liked it this much. He was quiet then, making it clear he was submitting to my control.

"Well if I'm taking control then I suggest you get us naked," I began. "I won't tolerate slowness." He smiled broadly and sat up, pushing me down over his thighs. His fingers tangled into the hem of my dress and I felt him slide the material up over my body. Once it was over my stomach he pressed a hand over the flailing twins and I paused in our game to let him have his moment. He loved feeling them move and I could feel them anytime while I usually had to tell him to feel.

"Shh babies. I'm planning on making love to your mother and I'd prefer to not feel you kicking me during that time," he said as he looked at me under hooded eyes. I smiled at his statement though. I didn't really want to feel them kicking while we were being intimate. It was sort of...weird.

As if sensing their father they immediately quieted. He smiled smugly before tugging the dress off my body. His kisses were loving as he pressed his lips over each inch of exposed skin. Clothed in only my undergarments, I tugged at his jeans until he reached down to undo the belt, slipping it through each belt loop slowly. My mouth parted and I breathed out a pleasurable moan.

His hands grasped my body and he slid me to the floor beside him as he shrugged out of his jeans. He sprung out of the jeans and I bit my lips when I noticed his lack of boxers. He twitched a little at my heated perusal. Damon had no reason to ever question his endowment but he certainly made his bedmate aware of how much pleasure he could bring them.

"See something you like?" he asked with a little forward thrust. I leaned forward and grasped him, pushing the paint stirrer against his chest.

"I didn't give you permission to speak," I replied simply. He smirked until I tugged him firmly in my hand, and his mouth parted. His eyes slid shut as I stroked him thoughtfully watching him grow in my hand. He pulsed slowly and I waited until he was nearly mindless with his own need before laying back and slipping to the floor.

His eyes shot to mine when he realized I planned to leave him like that and I saw a smile curl across his features. His fingers danced up my legs to rest at the waistband of my underwear. They dipped teasingly beneath before trailing up to unhook my bra. It slid off my shoulders easily and he sat back waiting for instructions.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked as I smacked his hip with the wood. "Please me."

"Of course," he replied. He leaned up to kiss me gently before sliding down to suckle one of my breasts. I arched up suddenly as little sparks of pleasure rocketed through my body. My nipples throbbed with intensity as he nibbled and sucked until I smacked his back with the wood.

"Enough!" I croaked.

"Oohhh..." he breathed against my breast. He understood my meaning and moved farther south. His tongue traced over my stomach in loving gestures as he spent time whispering soft words. He was in love with the twins already and he spent every opportunity talking to them. He was determined they would recognize his voice. How could they not? It was a damn, sexy voice.

He looked up at me and winked as he spread my legs and pulled them up over his shoulders. He licked his lips slowly, making a show of what he was about to do. I grasped the stirrer intensely before tapping him gently, urging him on. He lowered his mouth to me and the moment his lips touched my heated skin, I dropped the stirrer and grasped at the hardwood floor. My nails raked over the old wood as I nearly screamed in pleasure. Thank god Klaus wasn't in the house or we would have scarred him for life.

"Oh God!" I cried as I felt his tongue slip inside. Damon was incredibly talented with his tongue and could make a multiple orgasm erupt with only a few flicks. I shuddered like a junky as he took me higher and higher.

"Should I continue?" he asked softly as he rested his chin on my belly while his fingers still slid over my body. His eyes were hooded as he stared at my wild eyes. I wanted him inside me right now and screw control. I wasn't the dominating type.

"Just do what you want Damon! Fuck!" I said as I writhed underneath him. He surged up to me and kissed me deeply and I felt him hard against my thigh. Our eyes met during that moment and I hoped he could see my need reflected there.

"Baby, you are clearly not the dominate one," he said softly. "Do you mind if I take control back?"

"Please, please, please," I whispered against him. He smiled that sly, knowing smile before kneeling between my legs. He lifted my legs up over his shoulders and turned his head to nibble on my calf. I arched a little and reached for him, nails raking over his chest. He slid forward and I cried out in pleasure.

"Have I...damn! mentioned how much...shit! I am loving...ah!...this stage of pregnancy?" He gasped. I laughed softly as he continued his feverish thrusting. I always seemed to want him and I was seducing him constantly. This was just one instance of me finding him so sexy I had to jump him.

"Please! Shit! Harder, harder, harder," I panted. He spread my legs a little wider and I screamed out as he hit that one magical place which made my mind explode. My mouth opened, I gasped his name, and then I fell over the edge. My hands scratched at the floor as I shook in pleasure.

"Fuck!" he roared as he surged forward; once, twice, and then slumped. My legs thudded against the floor as he slipped back to the floor beside me, pulling me into his arms. I kissed his chest gently as I tried to reorder my thoughts.

"Mmm...that was amazing," I whispered.

"So...handymen make you horny," he stated. I giggled at his tone and smacked him lightly. "Smack me again Baby."

"I love a sweaty Damon," I replied.

"Is that why you always want sex after I work out?" He said suddenly.

"Mm-hmm. Why do you think I want to turn that one bedroom into a home gym? God think of the sex!" I laughed.

"Well it's definitely getting put in down there," Damon chuckled.

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It was insane being back in my childhood home, planning and decorating it for my own family. We hadn't purchased furniture or brand new appliances yet but I was making do with some remnants. The owners had left two couches, an arm chair, a small table, four chairs, and the old appliances. I was able to spend the day here while Damon painted and worked to his heart's content.

He was repainting the majority of the rooms by hand while refinishing some of the wood floors when he could. I spent the day surfing the web for furniture and fixtures to make the home feel like our home. Other than our intense christening moments, I wasn't allowed to do anything that required more than typing and writing...oh and preparing some simple lunches. He wouldn't let me cook which might have been a good idea.

I was sick of looking at catalogs. I had to bookmark everything to show Damon later and he was usually too tired to look at much so no decisions were being made. There was also the issue of the bonus room downstairs. What were we going to do with that?

"Hello Mrs. Salvatore!" a familiar voice called. I stumbled up and moved towards the foyer.

"Elijah!" I called. He was moving down the hallway and we ended up colliding. He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug and I squealed as he lifted me up. "What are you doing here?"

"I wasn't going to miss your party next week and Stefan may have mentioned your decorating dilemma," he replied. I hugged him so hard at that statement. Elijah was studying interior decorating and now I had one of my favorite people helping me!

"God I love you!" I replied. "How's Mikael?"

"He's wonderful! He's coming next week for your party," Elijah explained. "He was sad he couldn't join us this week but he got called to Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong? Wow!" I exclaimed.

"Well he had to meet with clients. The clients love his design for their corporate headquarters. I'm so proud!" Elijah explained. Mikael was an architect and a very successful one at that. He was in the process of designing the house Mikael and Elijah would live in together for years to come.

"I'm so happy for you both," I replied. I ushered him into the kitchen and he immediately slid into one of the nearby chairs and gestured for me to join him.

"You are very pregnant and Damon would kill me if I didn't make you rest," he said as I got situated. "So girls or boys?"

"We don't know yet. My appointment is tomorrow," I said with a sigh. "I'm excited but I'm tired."

"Well you need to relax. Where's Damon?"

"He's at the hardware store picking up paint," I replied. "You know I love this house and I love my husband but I'm ready for a vacation."

"I could take over a little if you'd like," he offered. "I can get a crew down here to finish the painting and floors. We could even fix up some of the hardware for you, like handles and door knobs and such."

"Really?" I asked, reaching forward to grasp his lapels. "Don't toy with me Eli."

"Calm down Elena. I promise we can do this so you can have a day off," he replied with a chuckle. "Think of the babies."

"Hey, who's parked outside?" Damon asked as he came through the door, carrying paint and a bag that smelled deliciously like hamburgers.

"Well hello there Damon," Elijah said as Damon came into view. Damon smiled and greeted him as he put everything down on the counters.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he came over to give me a kiss. His lips were warm and I could taste the hint of a milkshake. Mmm...chocolate...

"I've come to help you two relax a bit. This lovely lady," he said gesturing to me "is quite exhausted and needs a break."

"Elena?" Damon asked softly. I closed my eyes and tensed as if I was a child who knew they'd done something wrong. I hadn't told him how tired I was or how much I needed a break.

"Elijah offered to paint and install some of the fixtures so we can have a day off," I explained. "We could take Klaus to the park and pack a picnic lunch."

"That sounds nice," he replied. "In fact, why don't we take we look through some of those catalogs and just relax for the rest of the afternoon?" I nodded emphatically and the men laughed at my enthusiasm.

"I'll go take a little tour and then you two can tell me all about your design plans," Elijah said as he stood up. He disappeared from the room and Damon slid his arms around me gently, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

"Why didn't you tell me how tired you are?" he asked. I didn't respond immediately as he moved to kneel in front of me. He lifted my feet and slipped each slipper off my feet. His hands cupped my ankles and he began a soft massage. I felt a soft groan slip through my lips and he chuckled.

"You were working so hard," I explained. "I didn't want to stop you."

"Baby, I'd rather rest with you for a few days then have you miserable," he replied. "Plus I need you to keep me in line."

"In line huh?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. No one kept Damon in line. You just got mad at him until he pretended to rectify his position before he did what he wanted anyway. If he wanted you naked in bed and you didn't feel like it, he inevitably got you into bed naked. If he wanted to paint the whole damn house then he was going to do it.

"Well...okay probably not. You do make me realize when I'm insane though," he said happily. "My job is to make you happy and you need a break."

"I miss Klaus," I began. "We've been leaving him with Peppe and Gianna and I want to spend time with our son."

"Mmm...our son. I love it when you say that," He replied. "I miss him too so let's spend tomorrow with him."

"All day," I replied. He nodded and reached down to slide the slippers back on my feet. His hands slid up my legs and over my thighs to rest on his favorite part of me at the moment. The twins were kicking up a storm and he pressed himself against the feelings. "They miss their Daddy too."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry babies," he responded. "I've been thinking about names."

"Names? We don't even know their sexes!" I replied, completely surprised. I knew he was excited but I wasn't expecting that!

"Grace," he replied. "I really like Grace." It wasn't what I expected at all. I expected some overly complicated Italian name to pair with the Salvatore name. It would be something incredibly strong to make a statement.

"Grace?" I whispered.

"I love it and I really want a girl," he replied. "I want a little girl who looks just like her beautiful mother."

"I love it," I said softly. "Grace...do you like that?" I asked as I rubbed a hand over the soft kicks. "I think she does."

"You think one's a girl?" he asked.

"I've always thought they were girls and I don't know why," I replied honestly. I'd always thought they were girls since we found out about twins. We had our son and now we'd have our girls "How about Hope?"

"Hope?" he asked. He bit his lip as he considered it. "I like it."

"Really?" I replied. I hugged him to me tightly and he wrapped his arms around us. "What if they're boys?"

"Hmmm...Elijah?" he asked softly.

"Elijah...why?" I asked surprised. While I loved Eli it just seemed so random.

"Didn't I ever tell you?" Damon asked surprised. "He's one of the reasons we're together." Damon reached up and took my hand and explained the whole plan from start to finish and how we came together.

"So Elijah was going to pretend to seduce me? Yeah...not my type," I replied with a snort. Elijah versus Damon? Come on, no contest! He laughed at my response and pulled me down for a long, drugging kiss. "Mmmm..."

"No one compares to Damon Salvatore!" He stated. I reached out to run my fingers through his hair and his eyes drifted shut. He relaxed against my motions immediately and I leaned back and closed my own eyes, letting us relax for a few minutes.

"Well I love the colors you've chosen for the rooms," Elijah said as he entered the room. He sat down and pulled out a little notebook from his inside pocket and began to jot down some things. "I do want to question the blue you've chosen for Klaus' room. I think you should go a shade or two darker if you want it to look that color. The natural light will make it seem a lot lighter."

"Well if you think its best," I replied. "Klaus picked the color but I know he wants dark blue walls."

"You two go home and spend some time together. I'll call my crew and we'll get started once I can get them here," Elijah said. "Leave this to me."

"Take me home to our son," I said to Damon. He stood up and lifted me into his arms. I squealed loudly as I slid against him. "Damon, you'll hurt yourself!"

"You weigh nothing although no squirming would be awesome!" He said as he walked over towards the island. "Grab your purse and the take-out bag. We'll pick up something for Klaus on the way home."

"Now Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore, go spend some time with your wonderful son and leave the design to me!" He said loudly. He ushered us towards the door, pushing us out onto the porch. Damon spun to say something but Elijah closed the door and we heard the lock click into place.

"Well...I guess that's that," Damon said softly.

"Elijah takes control," I replied. "Now get me home to our son!"

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Yay! Smutty goodness! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one. We're nearing the party, finding out the sexes of the babies, and meeting some of Delena's friends.

Follow me at tsukikomew (dot) blogspot (dot) com

I love hearing from you guys and I hope to see some amazing reviews! Thanks so much!


	11. Before hitting the Fan

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for…okay just kidding.

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They were beautiful. I stared at my family nestled in our bed, beneath the quilts. My boy was lying nestled in his mother's arms with one hand resting on her stomach. I felt guilty for going out with Eli and Stefan tonight for an...after-thought bachelor party. Elena had a girl's night in but it ended around eight. She got tired and went to bed so early now that she couldn't party the night away she'd opted for an afternoon party.

Our son had spent the evening with my parents doing whatever it is little boys and their grandparents do together. I'm sure he'd tell me tomorrow before the party. Well...before the doctor's appointment and the party. We had a busy day tomorrow and I couldn't wait to celebrate our marriage and find out the sex of the twins.

I unbuttoned my shirt and threw it in the nearby hamper as I approached the bed. As I lifted the blankets to slip into bed Elena opened her eyes and looked up at me, blinking away the sleep. She smiled sleepily and opened her arms to me, allowing me to slip into bed with her.

"Did you have fun?" she asked softly. I nodded and settled her against me. My hand slid down over her belly and she smiled when she felt a soft kick. I kissed her softly and she wrapped her arm around my neck, holding me close to her. I loved this so much.

"You didn't drink?" she asked when I pulled back from her.

"No, baby," I replied. "I didn't want to deal with a hangover on our special day." She frowned adorably.

"I thought we already had our special day," she said quietly.

"Yes!" I replied quickly. "I meant another special day. Our wedding day was amazing and it will always be at the top of my list. Of course, it's in competition with adopting our son and the births of these two little ones." I kissed her cheek and snuggled against her, dropping kisses on every little inch of skin I could find.

"Do you wish we had a big wedding?" she whispered.

"Do you?" I asked.

"I asked you first," she replied softly.

"No. Honestly I love that we eloped," I said passionately. "I loved having you all to myself. Do you regret it?"

"No," she replied. "I loved eloping with you and I never wanted a big wedding anyway. I'd go anywhere with you babe, you know that."

"Well Mrs. Salvatore, the feeling is mutual."

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"And how are two doing?" Dr. Bennett asked as he came into the room. Elena murmured her reply but I was too busy resting my cheek against her belly, feeling each little movement.

"I see you two are enjoying feeling the children move," he said softly. He sat down on the little rolling seat and moved towards us. He was flipping through her file but I couldn't be bothered with him yet.

"Damon, you need to move," Elena said softly as she ran her fingers through my hair. I groaned loudly and pulled back to look up at my glowing wife. She was always smiling now and I couldn't help but smile in return. Somehow the world kept falling away when I looked at her and I found myself enjoying every second of it. She grasped my hand and our palms met. I could feel the cool metal of her wedding band against my fingers.

"Do you want to find out the sex of your babies or should I give you two a few minutes?" Dr. Bennett finally asked.

"No! Babies!" Elena said quickly. She swatted me away playfully and leaned back against the seat. She was so excited and I quickly stood to hold her hand as we waited for Dr. Bennett to get a move on.

"I thought so," Dr. Bennett said with a laugh. "Now this may feel a little cold." Elena nodded when he spread some of the gel over her stomach causing her to giggle softly. Dr. Bennett chuckled at her enthusiasm and rolled the machine towards her. She was so excited to see if the doctor could determine the sex of our babies and I found myself feeling giddy too.

"Hurry, doctor, hurry!" Elena squealed when he placed the old-looking wand over her stomach. Immediately we heard the heartbeat ring out and Elena grasped my hand tightly. I gasped when I could pick out the twins in the picture. They started out as little peanuts and now they were looking like little people. I reached out to touch the screen and I could feel tears in my eyes.

"Elena," I murmured. She glanced up at me and I reached out to wipe the tears from her own cheeks. "They're so beautiful!"

"Kiss me," she whispered. I tilted her head up and pressed my lips softly against hers. Her hand slid up my arm to rest against my neck while I opened my eyes to stare at her soft, brown eyes.

"Congratulations! I believe this one is a girl," Dr. Bennett said suddenly. We parted quickly and Elena reached forward to touch the screen where Dr. Bennett was pointing. "I don't see anything resembling a male baby so I'm going to say 95% sure female."

"A little girl," Elena said softly. She was quiet after that as she stared at the screen. I reached out to press my hand over hers.

"Our little girl," I finally said.

"I'll try to look at the other one now but the baby is at an odd angle. It may be difficult to tell," Dr. Bennett stated. I think we both were still in awe so we didn't respond to his words. We sat there quietly while he moved the wand towards the side of her stomach. The whooshing sound seemed to get slightly louder and Elena's hand grasped mine in a death grip.

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

"What is it doctor?" I asked. Elena looked up at me in pure panic. We both turned to the doctor and he waved us off.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly. "I was surprised to find her in such a good position. Congratulations on twin girls, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore. I imagine Gianna will be thrilled you two broke the Salvatore curse."

Everyone knew what he was talking about. For nearly two hundred years the Salvatore's only had boys and usually two. It was weird but it kept happening. Now...Salvatore girls. I could only shudder at that thought.

"No guns," Elena said softly, patting my arm. "You can tell them they can't date until they're eighteen but if you bring a gun into my house..."

"What?" I said softly. She reached up and grasped my collar, ripping me down to look into her eyes.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" she said vehemently. Her eyes were scary and I found myself trying to pull back from the fire in her eyes. "And if for some reason I should miss, you won't have sex with me ever again!" Her voice was deadly quiet and then suddenly she smiled and pet my face. "I love you so much."

"I...love you too," I stuttered.

"Can we go get a banana split before the party?" Elena asked suddenly. She was smiling up at me, shyly. These mood swings were killing me. "We can share if you want."

"I'd love that Mrs. Salvatore. Thank you for giving me two girls and a wonderful son," I replied. She started crying and pulled me down to her. I glanced over at Dr. Bennett and he nodded before heading out of the office, pulling the door behind him.

"Shh...baby. Today is a happy day," I finally said. She hugged me to her and I held her, my beautiful wife.

"I know, I know. I'm just so happy," she said softly. She met my gaze and smiled. "You make me the happiest woman in the world, Damon Salvatore. I love you so much and I...wonder what I did to deserve you."

"Everything baby, everything and nothing at all. I think we deserve each other," I said quietly. "I love you."

"I love you too. Can we...can we go now? I want to get that ice cream," she asked quietly. I nodded and pulled back from her before reaching for her dress. She reached out and took it while I helped her stand up. She handed me the hospital gown she was wearing and for a second she stood there in her new bra and panty set.

"Two whole cup sizes?" I asked when she slid the dress over her head. She hadn't just been buying maternity clothes but crazy amounts of lingerie. She was extra tired but somehow she managed to be extra horny. The sex was FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!

"Yep," she replied with a little popping 'p'. I tugged her into my arms and she came willingly, crushed to my front as much as her belly would allow. I just held her, my hands slipping down over her back until she slid her arms around my neck. "Well get me some ice cream! We're starving!"

"Starving, huh?" I asked as I reached out for her purse. She nodded quickly before taking my hand in hers.

"Starving!" she replied as we left the appointment room.

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The banana split was nestled between us on a park picnic table while we watched kids play in the park. Elena was busy eating every bit of the sundae while I sat back and watched. I think I'd had one taste before it started disappearing into her mouth. I wrapped my arm around her and I smiled as she snuggled against me.

"Cold?" I asked.

"No," she replied, "I hope we have fun today."

"Me too. Caroline and Bonnie will throw a great party and we can show off our...growing family," I said as I slid my hands over her stomach. I knew she felt fat and unattractive but I found every extra pound incredibly sexy. Those were our babies in there and the whole 'I knocked up my wife' thing seemed to egg me on. It was something primal and I loved every second of it.

"Mmm...Eli said the house is ready for furniture," she said while licking ice cream off her spoon. "Maybe we could start moving in next week?"

"Sure," I replied. "Most of the furniture is on order anyway and we need to order furniture for the girls. Girls!"

"Are you okay with that? I know girls make you a little uncomfortable..."

"Baby, I want any babies you give me. Girls will be an adventure plus I imagine they'll be adorable. They have a mother who is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. They have big shoes to fill," I answered.

"You know the Salvatore traits always win out," she said bitterly. "I'd be surprised if they look like me at all!"

"Baby, I'll always see you in them no matter what," I replied. Suddenly a spoon was in front of my mouth and I took a bite, my eyes never leaving hers.

"I know I'm moody and ridiculous..."

"You're beautiful and perfect," I replied. She smiled as she fed me another bit of the sundae, the gooey chocolate fudge dripping onto the picnic table top. "Mmm...this is good."

"Not as good as a Salvatore sundae," she said with a giggle. "I bought some chocolate sauce and some vanilla ice cream. Oh and cherries!"

"When do you want to play again?" I asked as reached for one drooping cherry. I held the stem out and above her head as her tongue reached out to lick a stray bit of whipped cream. She took the cherry in her mouth slowly and I held the stem playfully. When I tugged it after a second she smiled broadly and I saw it clenched between her teeth.

"I was thinking tonight. I paid the movers to...bring the bed over early. Stefan wants to spend some quality time with his nephew so...want to spend some quality time with your wife?"

"I would love nothing more."

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Caroline and Bonnie had outdone themselves. Elena spun around to look at all the decorations and the large group of people they had assembled to help us celebrate. Immediately the family had descended on us; friends from our childhood came to hug and fawn over Elena. She was glowing in her happiness and I found myself staring at her. People were clapping me on the back and congratulating me but I was too busy staring at my wife.

"Attention! Attention everyone!" Caroline's voice boomed out from her own make-shift stage. Everyone quieted quickly and turned to face the blonde monster. She was going to get our attention one way or another. "Thanks! So you all know why we're here which is to celebrate the marriage of Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert!"

"WOO!" various people shouted. Elena was blushing prettily and I noticed Klaus had materialized next to her, holding her hand tightly.

"Yes! We're all so excited!" Caroline continued. "In other news this isn't just a wedding shower but a baby shower! Elena and Damon are expecting TWINS!"

"Girls!" I shouted. "Twin girls!" There was loud 'ooohhhh'-ing and lots of yells. I tugged Elena against me and hoisted Klaus up onto my shoulders. He squealed loudly before wrapping his arms around my head.

"Did you all hear that!" Caroline screeched. "The Salvatore curse has been broken and they will have the first girls in over 100 years! Congrats guys! Also take a look at that adorable little boy sitting on Damon's shoulders! That's their son, Klaus. On top of a bridal/baby shower we've decided to throw a party for Klaus. So without further ado, welcome to the Salvatore Extravaganza!"

Out of nowhere smartly dressed waiters came out with trays of sparkling cider. Elena gratefully took one and sipped at it lightly. Suddenly she turned to lift the glass to my lips and I drank it gratefully. She reached up and Klaus took her hand. I reached up and pulled him down again and he immediately pressed his hands to her stomach.

"Are the babies kicking?" He asked softly. Elena reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. He smiled up at her with a big smile and she reached out to move his hand to the side.

"Can you feel that?" she asked him. He nodded and a look of wonder swept across his face. I reached out and put my hand over his, smiling when I felt them. "I'm so glad they sleep when I do or I'd never get any sleep."

Soon enough we separated and I was pulled away by some of the guys. Elijah and Mikael were drinking glasses of wine while I introduced them to various people. Mikael was nice enough but he was a little too serious for my taste. Elijah was clearly the more outgoing of the two and seemed to relish meeting new people.

"I haven't had the pleasure of speaking to your wife yet but Eli is always telling me about her," Mikael finally said.

"Elena tends to make a very good impression on people," I replied. "I haven't met anyone who didn't care for her in a matter of minutes."

"Have you two known each other long?" he asked.

"Since we were kids. Elena grew up with my family when her parents died. We've been in love for years but we were too stupid to admit it. Eli helped me tell her," I replied. It was true after all. Stefan and Eli helped us a great deal. I turned to find her in the crowd and found myself battling anger. She was talking to Matt Donovan.

"Excuse me," I said gruffly as I weaved through the crowd. What the hell was he doing here? He knew I hated him with every fiber of my being. Not only had he stolen Elena from my bed but he'd had the audacity to cheat on her. Who does that? Who could hurt Elena like that and be left to tell the tale?

"Oh Matt!" she squealed as she reached up to hug him. Something primal shot through me at that. Our babies were being pressed up against the man who should have lost a vital limb at his treatment of their mother. As if sensing me, she turned and smiled at me. I watched the smile slip from her face as she noticed my dark look.

"Donovan," I greeted as I slid my arms around my wife. She looked up at me questioningly but one look and she turned back to Matt.

"Salvatore," he replied. "I believe Congratulations are in order."

"Yes," I said simply. "How is...what was her name again?" I watched with pleasure as his eyes darkened in anger. Everyone knew about his infidelities and rumor had it she hadn't come cheaply. Elena's hand tightened on my hip in warning.

"She moved on a long time ago," Matt said simply.

"Tell him about your good news," Elena finally said. My fingers tightened on her but she ran her hands over them gently. She knew how much I hated this man and how lucky she was I wasn't punching him.

"I...I'm leaving town to take a job," he finally replied. "In Construction."

"Isn't it great Damon! It's what Matt always wanted and now he's living out his dream," Elena said excitedly. "Just like I'm living mine." My eyes shot down to hers and she smiled shyly. My hand slid up to tilt her face before I kissed her gently. I was living out my dreams too and I couldn't help but forget all about Matt Donovan.

"Well um...Congrats Elena," Matt finally coughed. We broke apart and I nodded at him. I didn't care if he was moving on or if he didn't have feelings for Elena anymore. He had touched her once and that was enough for me. He was always to be towards the top of my "shit list".

"That was unnecessary," Elena said once Matt had walked away. "When will you accept I only want you?"

"I've accepted that but I still don't like him," I replied. No matter how much time passed I knew I'd never like him. I could pretend to play nice but in my mind I'd always see his hands on my wife. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Immensely now that I'm with my husband," she replied. She pulled me down for another kiss and sighed. "We should go find Klaus. I miss him too."

"Have you seen the gift mountains?" I asked. She nodded slightly and our eyes both darted to the three piles. The largest one was for the baby shower portion while the wedding and Klaus piles were somewhat equal. Apparently twins meant two of everything. We found Klaus standing in front of his mountain and his eyes were full of awe.

"Are these really all for me?" he asked Elena. She took his hand gently and pulled him into a hug.

"Of course they are," she murmured. "Everyone wants to celebrate you joining our family. Also Gia and Peppe probably bought a large chunk of them."

"I love them a lot," Klaus replied. "I love you too Mom and Dad." Our eyes locked for a second before Elena burst into happy tears. He had been hesitant about calling us 'Mom' and 'Dad' although he didn't call us by our names either. He seemed to be adjusting to it.

"We love you Klaus," I said softly as I sandwiched him in hug between Elena and me. He woke up every day, clearly surprised to still have a home. He kept waiting to be taken back to the Center even though we kept telling him it was permanent.

"Well isn't this cozy?" a voice rang out. Elena froze before looking over my shoulder. I pulled back from her and turned. Instant dislike radiated through me when I saw the level of anguish on Elena's face.

"Uncle John?"

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The shit is going to hit the fan! What type of shit? Well you'll have to stay tuned!

I'm behind on review replies again . Sorry! I'm working on them while I work on CMI 9. I hope to talk to you all soon!

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	12. Uncle John

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Bear with me. Please.

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Once when I was really little we went to visit Uncle John. He lived in a small town home with all sorts of scary things on the walls. That's what I remember about his house. There were scary things there. There were weapons and instruments of pain. He had collections of knives and collections of axes. Every space was taken up by them and they made me feel unsettled.

Sometimes in the middle of the night I'd wake up and he'd be watching me. He would put a finger to his lips and shake his head. It was a secret and I wasn't supposed to tell. Years later I would wonder if it was meant to be creepy. He never touched me. He never leered at me. He never said inappropriate things. All he did was watch.

He wasn't exactly an ideal uncle though. He didn't buy me gifts or ask me about my toys. He didn't tell stories about him and my dad. He didn't do anything but watch my mother cook for him and play chess with my dad. I was an afterthought usually but that was okay.

He lived by this really large meadow. It was always colorful and filled with trees on the edges. Sometimes I would find big rocks or large tree trunks in the meadow. I could play for hours out there, only returning home to eat meals. Mommy would tuck me into bed and promise I could play out there again in the morning.

I did remember this one time I stayed with Uncle John before my parents died. Daddy had to go on a business trip and Mommy went with him. Years later I would find out they were trying to adopt a little boy since Mommy couldn't have kids anymore. I always wondered how my life would have been different if they'd lived. Maybe I'd have a little brother now.

Anyway, I was staying with Uncle John...alone. He didn't seem to know what to do with me so I spent most of the day in the meadow. He didn't think about food much and I usually ate a sandwich I'd make when I got hungry. Uncle John was busy talking to some lady. She was really pretty but he'd never told me her name.

She brought me a doll but it was scary looking and I didn't like it. She looked at me appraisingly or at the time...too intensely for my liking. As a five year old I could read people incredibly well and I didn't really like her. She didn't like me and I didn't know why. I only knew she was really pretty.

That was one of the last times I'd ever seen Uncle John. He'd been at the funeral when they lowered my parents into the ground. I'd understood what death was and I knew they were never coming back but he didn't offer me any words of comfort. He said nothing to me that entire day. He just stood next to me and stared at the ground.

Later when I was in his car, he handed me my teddy bear. I held it to me and wondered if I'd sleep in the room I always had at the townhouse. Maybe we could change the color? I hadn't been listening then but I'd heard him explaining I would be staying with the Salvatore's, not him. I'd stared at him for a long time before I remembered something.

There had been a beautiful boy at a party who'd given me a cookie. He was the prettiest boy I'd ever seen! He'd held my hand softly and had whispered to me I would be his bride someday. I knew he was being silly at the time but now when I looked down at the beautiful ring he'd given me, I wondered if he really believed it then.

I hadn't seen John since he'd dropped me off at the Salvatore Manor. I hadn't watched him drive away but I had thought, 'at least I don't have to live in that house'. Moments later the prettiest boy in the world offered me another cookie. I was a goner from that moment on when it came to Damon Salvatore.

It was years later when I was preparing to go to college that I realized I'd never seen any money from Uncle John. Surely my parents had insurance, right? They also had a house and bank accounts. Peppe had looked into it for me and discovered just enough money left to send me to college. The rest had mysteriously vanished and there was really nothing I could do about it.

Peppe and Gia didn't realize I knew where the bulk of the money came from. They outfitted me with everything I needed and took care of all the bills, promising the money came from insurance money from my parents. I didn't have the heart to tell them I knew they were paying. I tried to make it up to them any time I could. They loved me like a daughter and I was so grateful.

I didn't need Uncle John and he'd made it perfectly clear he didn't want me. So why was he at our party and staring at my pregnant belly like it was a disease?

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"Uncle John?" I heard my voice say. It sounded strange but I couldn't figure out why. Damon was staring at the man surprised to see him. Klaus was looking at me before turning to look at the newcomer. His hand tightened on mine and I looked down out of concern. He looked scared and I'd never seen him look like that.

"Hello Elena," he repeated. Klaus closed his eyes tightly and I pulled him into my arms. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed.

"What's wrong Klaus?" I asked softly as I rubbed his back. He looked up at me fearfully and I stared down at him.

"Make him leave Mommy," he said softly. "I don't like him." My eyes darted to Damon and I felt the anger rolling off of him. He was turning into a protective husband and daddy. He didn't like it when we felt uncomfortable. He wrapped his arms around us and glared at John.

"I came to speak to Elena and I'd prefer to do it alone," John said quietly.

"Absolutely not!" Damon stated. "Over my dead body."

"Damon..." I murmured. "Maybe I should speak to him." Why was he here? Why after all this time had he decided to show up? He hadn't cared about me for nearly 18 years but now he wanted to talk? It had to be important for him to come here when he knew he wouldn't be wanted.

"No, Elena," he replied. "I won't leave you alone with him when you clearly don't want to be."

"You take very good care of me," I said softly as I rubbed my fingers over his cheek. "I need to do this."

"Are you sure?" he asked softly. I nodded and he sighed. I was determined and he knew he couldn't stop me. He leaned down and scooped Klaus up. Klaus seemed incredibly upset and tried to grab me. I'd never seen him this scared and I leaned over to give him a kiss. He settled when I hugged him to me whispering I was okay. He seemed to calm down once I reassured him and I remembered Gia telling me something once. Kids could sense fear and maybe...just maybe he was reacting this way because I was so uncomfortable.

"It's okay honey. I'll be fine," I told him. "Now why don't you go show Daddy some of your presents?" He nodded and turned to Damon. He looked at me questioningly but when I nodded he turned hesitantly. He glanced back twice before disappearing into the crowd. I watched them for a second more before turning to face Uncle John.

"There's an empty room in the back," he offered. I nodded and followed him, rubbing my belly softly. The twins were wide awake and kicking up a storm. I sighed when I thought about that banana split and those sweet, sweet cherries. It seemed so long ago.

He led me back out of the party and towards a wooden door near the kitchens. He ushered me in and I sought out a dusty couch to rest. My feet hurt when I stood too long and I was incredibly tired.

"You look well Elena," he said softly.

"Thanks, I guess?" I replied. The twins were driving me crazy but I had to stay focused.

"Look I know you don't really like me but..." he began.

"You know, you're right," I said. "I don't like you but let's be honest. It's your fault." The anger thing was relatively new. Every so often when my pregnancy hormones decided to attack my common sense, anger seeped in for no apparent reason. Why the fuck was I even talking to him at all?

He started laughing a little and I narrowed my eyes. If I ripped his head off for laughing at me would anyone care? Did he even have friends? Had he ever had friends? In fact my mother had seemed to hate him so why did we even bother to visit him in the first place?

"Something amusing you?" I bit out. He stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry but you just look so much like your mother," he said. I digested the information slowly and couldn't quite understand it. My mom had been blonde and well I wasn't. She was pale-skinned while I was olive-skinned. I looked like my Dad...not my Mom.

"No one's ever told me that since she died," I murmured. "Is it a mannerism or something?"

"Not Miranda," he replied. "Isobel. You look like Isobel."

"Who is that?" I asked. Something about the name niggled at my brain but I couldn't understand why. Who was Isobel? Something bad settled in my chest and I grasped the couch cushion tightly.

"Your biological mother," he replied. The earth fell away from me as I tried to deny it. I tried to rationalize this feeling but somewhere deep inside I knew it could be true. I never had looked like Mom and she'd never told me about me being born. She always referred to it as they day they got me. The day...I came into their lives.

He was still talking and I'd missed the majority of what he was saying. At some point I realized he was going on about how I'd been an accident at the time and pretty much unwanted. They were young and somewhat in love but a baby?

"Grayson and Miranda always wanted a child and she couldn't have any so..." he continued. My eyes darted up to his and widened. Oh God! He was...they were...oh god!

"What?" I whispered. "No..." John was...my father? That's why I only vaguely resembled my dad. He was my uncle!

"Look it's been years and I...regret what happened. I want to be a part of your life if you'll let me," he said softly.

"Why?" I whispered. He moved closer and reached out to touch my shoulder. I recoiled and he hesitated. He kneeled down in front of me and looked up at me, sadness in his eyes. I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Isobel passed away three weeks ago and she told me the biggest regret of her life was not being a part of your life," he said sadly. "She heard you were pregnant and we knew you married Damon and...she wanted to see her grandchildren before she died."

"I'm supposed to care?" I asked my voice low in my throat. I sounded strange and I didn't like it. I felt strange like I'd never...like I wasn't...here. I unclenched my hands from the couch cushions and formed fists. I was fucking pissed.

"Elena?" he finally asked.

"She abandoned me," I replied. "You both did. Get away from me!"

"Elena, please," he cajoled. "I'm trying to fix this."

"Get the hell away from me! Where were you when I was five years old?" I yelled. "Where were you when Peppe and Gia helped pay for college? Where the hell were you when I had nightmares about the car crash?"

"Elena stop!" he pleaded. He looked distraught but I couldn't care less.

"No! You were too busy being a bachelor and probably whoring around! Get the fuck away from me and leave me alone!" I screamed.

"I'll try again when you aren't so... moody," he said softly. He walked towards the door and I stared at him seething. I don't quite know what possessed me but I watched my shoe whiz through the air and hit him in the back of the head. His head smacked forward but he just sighed loudly. "I hope you'll forgive me someday."

When the door clicked shut I seethed for two more minutes before collapsing onto the couch. I put my head in my hands and pulled my legs up as close as possible. I started sobbing as I wrapped my arms around myself. My entire life had been a lie! How could no one tell me? What else had they lied about?

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"Elena, sweetheart?" Damon called. I tried to wipe the tears from my eyes but I knew he'd know. I couldn't hide anything from Damon, ever. I stayed in the makeshift ball-form and just cried softly. For nearly 23 years I'd been Grayson and Miranda Gilbert's daughter. Now I was an unwanted accident.

"Elena?" He asked as the door opened. I didn't raise my head to look at him but I heard the soft gasp leave his lips. "What's wrong?" He slid on his knees until he was beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and I melted against him. Only Damon could make me feel this safe. "What happened baby? Did he hurt you?"

"Damon!" I sobbed. He wrapped his arms around me and just held me as I cried. I knew I was devastated but also the hormone thing was probably not helping. The twins were quiet and I was thankful. My arms were like steel bands around his neck and finally he stood up, lifting me in his arms until we could sit comfortably on the couch together.

"Please baby, tell me what happened," he begged. I knew I was scaring the shit out of him but I couldn't form the words. How do you tell your husband you were adopted because you were an unwanted mistake?

We sat quietly for a long time as he rocked me back and forth. It was soothing and I found myself drifting off. He rubbed my back softly as my eyes drifted shut. He knew I was hurting and immediately shifted into soothing, comforting husband. It was lovely and I wished I could appreciate it at this exact minute.

"Shh...go to sleep Elena. We can leave the party and go home," he whispered when my eyes fluttered shut. "Someone will come looking for us soon and we can leave." I felt his lips on my forehead and then...nothing...more.

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I woke up slowly to the sensation of warm hands moving over my skin. My eyes fluttered softly as I felt a warm mouth move over my sensitive breasts as he nudged himself into me. My hands gripped the sheets tightly as he thrust into me slowly. My eyes fluttered open as his tongue, hands, and body made me soar.

"Oh baby," he whispered softly when he felt my body clench around him like a fist. My eyes shot open as I clutched at him suddenly. My mouth opened in a soundless scream as waves of pleasure rocked through me. He stilled inside me as I came down before resuming his slow thrusting.

"Damon," I murmured as I felt the familiar tingles begin again. He kissed up my body, sliding up my neck and up to my nose. As his pace sped up he kissed me, holding my face still. I shuddered uncontrollably as he brought me over the edge again. I felt his warmth inside me and I sighed in satisfaction. I loved it when we did this.

"How are you feeling baby?" He asked softly as I kissed his neck. For a second I forgot what happened. Where were we anyway? I glanced around at the master suite in our new home. The only furniture in the room was the large bed we were currently laying in. There were no curtains on the windows and the moonlight streamed in over us, the only light in the room.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. I didn't know how I felt about this at all but I knew I felt safe here. I kissed Damon softly and he sighed contently. He moved off to the side, flopping down onto the pillows. He pulled me against him and I went willingly, loving the security and stability he gave me.

"What did John do?" he asked. "Please tell me."

"Damon he..." I started. I swallowed and blinked away gathering tears. I wouldn't cry, dammit. "He told me he was my father." I buried my head against his neck and nuzzled him softly. His familiar scent engulfed me and instantly I felt better. Maybe everything would be okay as long as I could stay here.

"What?" He asked loudly. His fingers dug into my skin until I tensed. "Sorry, sorry." His grip released a little and I rubbed his chest gratefully. "Elena, what happened?"

"He told me he was my father and my mother was some woman named Isobel," I began. "I was an unwanted mistake and they just gave me to my Mom and Dad."

"That bastard," Damon bit out. "How dare he tell you now?"

"Isobel died a few weeks ago and now he wants to play Daddy," I replied quietly. He ran his fingers through my hair softly and I blinked away another round of gathering tears. He soothed me quietly until I could resume talking.

"He said he regretted not being a part of my life but...but..."I croaked. "My parents lied to me!"

"Elena you were five years old. Maybe they were going to tell you when you were older," Damon offered.

"I got all their papers and I saw everything when I became 18. There was no indication they planned on telling me at all! They were going to lie to me forever!" I exclaimed. I sat up and removed myself from his embrace. He followed me quickly, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"They were your parents Elena. They loved you," he said softly. "You were their daughter and maybe they didn't want to tell you. Maybe Grayson was protecting John."

"I don't give a fuck about that man! He's not my father and I want nothing to do with him!" I argued.

"Maybe not but don't be mad at your parents," he said softly. "They loved you and they wanted you."

"Maybe...but I...DAMON!" I screeched. His arms tightened around me. "DAMON!"

"What? God what Elena!" He said as he moved to look at me. He took one look at my face before he saw my hands clenched over my stomach. "Oh God!"

"It hurts Damon! It hurts!" I cried as I was wracked with another pain. "Please Damon, stop the pain!" He froze as I stared at him, tears starting to leak down my cheeks. He suddenly snapped out of it and grabbed his cell phone. I heard him rambling into the phone before he told them the address. Seconds later he was holding me, pleading with me to stay with him, to focus on his voice. Could this day get any fucking worse?

"Baby, they're sending an ambulance," he said worriedly. He rocked me back and forth for a moment before scrambling for clothes. He threw on a shirt and pants before grabbing my robe and wrapping it around me. I was shuddering in intense pain and I glanced down at belly.

"DAMON! I'm bleeding!" I cried. "NO, NO, NO!"

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So I'm going to go hide…

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	13. Behind Bars

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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_Beep...beep...beep. _The sound wasn't all that loud but it seemed deafening. They had just brought her out of the OR and all I could do was stare anywhere but at the monitors they had hooked up to her pregnant belly. She was still unconscious and I longed for her to open her eyes and at least be okay. Of course that would be too much to ask.

She'd been so terrified when she saw the drops of blood on the sheets and I'd understood her fear. I'd frozen in terror and felt completely useless. The EMT's had to separate us as they attempted to find out how much distress she was in. I'd blacked out when we saw the small amount of blood on the sheets as they moved her.

I hadn't fainted but I just couldn't seem to remember what had happened. We must have been herded into an ambulance but I didn't remember the ride. I could remember Elena clutching my hand tightly and begging me to stay, but the rest was a blur. They'd separated us again when they rushed her back towards the OR. I was left standing inside the doors, staring after her, listening to her cry. There was nothing I could do.

It took two hours before Dr. Bennett showed up to talk to me. I'd still been numb and only heard bits and pieces. Placental Abruption is what he called it. It was a somewhat minor case...class one or something. We were fortunate. While Elena had been in stress mostly caused by her own fear, the twins had not. They were fine as far as the doctors could tell but they were being monitored closely.

It was Elena they were worried about. They'd had to sedate her when she grew hysterical which had fueled her fear when they tried to explain what they were doing. Due to her high level of stress, she'd fueled the problem and elevated all of these body levels or something. It was a major concern and they were trying to fully determine if there had been any serious damage. I didn't understand the bulk of what they were telling me but I did hear them say she wasn't out of the woods yet.

Dawn came and went and I hadn't left her side. I watched her with loving eyes as her chest rose and fell with each shallow breath. I was careful to touch her as I traced her cheeks and down to her fingers. I avoided her belly and the multitude of wires as I tried to just be here for my wife. She was the one who would know what to do. She would be the strong one.

"Mr. Salvatore," Dr. Bennett began as he entered the room. "How's Elena doing?"

"She's still asleep," I replied. "Is she okay?"

"Her numbers are steady," he replied as he glanced at the various monitors. "It looks like she's doing well." He moved closer to her head and checked some of the other monitors before reaching down to adjust the sensors on her stomach. "Strong heartbeats."

"Are you sure they're okay?" I asked. He lifted the blanket and covered her again before sliding around to make some notations on her chart.

"They seem to be doing incredibly well which is all we can hope for at this time," he replied.

"Oh..." I whispered. I lifted Elena's hand into mine and threaded my fingers with hers. Her hand was warm but just barely as if she'd just stuck her hand in the fridge. I followed the lines her fingers made against mine which led to her manicured nails. She hadn't been to the salon in awhile and there were chips and cracks in the pink nail polish. I rubbed my fingers over hers and then glanced back up at Dr. Bennett.

"Have you called anyone?" He asked softly. He looked at me like a father instead of a doctor. It was something I'd never noticed before when we were in an appointment. He turned to stare down at Elena and he brushed two fingers across her forehead. "She's like a second daughter to me."

"You care about her..." I said softly.

"Of course. When Elena wasn't following you around or being followed by you; she was with Bonnie," he said. "She helped Bonnie dream about the future...about love. Bonnie never believed in love after my wife left but the two of you gave her hope."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "Bonnie hates me."

"She'd like you to think that, Damon. My daughter longs to have a love like yours," he replied as he stepped away from Elena. He glanced at the wall clock and then back to me. "You should call someone to come and wait with you. Your son will worry."

"Klaus shouldn't see her like this," I sighed. "He is very protective of her and will not...react well." Klaus's love for Elena paralleled my own and I could only hope someday, in the far-off future he'd fall in love with a girl like her. Because frankly Elena was mine and I wasn't about to compete with a child.

"Sometimes the love of a child can make everything seem more worth it," he said softly. "He'll be good for you."

"I'll think about it," I replied.

"Damon is something wrong?" he asked finally. I glanced up at him before swallowing slowly. Elena sometimes said I was an open book but I always maintained I was a bit more mysterious. She usually laughed it away.

"We were...I had just and then she..." I rambled.

"Ah," Dr. Bennett replied. "Sex didn't cause this Damon. Trust me. She was always at a slightly higher risk carrying twins but it's something we can't predict."

"So it was completely random?" I asked. I had to know. I had to know if there was anything I could have done to stop this. I hated this feeling of helplessness, knowing I couldn't do anything for my wife.

"It's a combination of factors Damon. The causes are not known yet but there are contributing factors. Other than carrying twins, Elena has had slightly higher blood pressure but we were monitoring that," he explained. "Well I suppose stress could have contributed but only partially. She really should take it easy from this point on."

"Of course Dr. Bennett," I replied. My mind had zeroed in on a select few words. A cloud of rage descended but I reined it in for the moment. I wanted the good doctor to leave the room before I acted on what I was feeling.

By the time Dr. Bennett left her room, I'd formulated a plan. First to get my mother to sit with Elena and then...well...

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It was a nice neighborhood. In different circumstances I could have seen Elena and me buying one of these luxury townhomes. In a different time, before the twins, we could have branched out on our own but now...well we needed to have the space for the girls and our son. A three bedroom townhome would not be big enough nor would it have the yard I desired.

I parked in the guest lot down the street from the unit I was headed to, hitting the security button as I exited the lot. It was a nice neighborhood but no one messed with my car. I glanced back at the mini-van and huffed. The Camaro would have been slightly more intimidating. Of course, Elena loved the damn thing now that Klaus was in the car with us. It was apparently a much safer car than my beautiful Camaro. Sometimes I really hated growing up.

I didn't know the number I was looking for but I knew the landmarks. I glanced around to get my bearings and noticed the little mailboxes, pristine and completely lined up with the road. Where was I anyway? Everything was too perfect, manicured lawns and newly painted shutters. A place like this would drive me completely batty. I needed uniqueness. I needed change. I didn't used to but somehow that crept up on me. I liked these changes in my life and I didn't want change to stop happening.

I found the house quickly enough. It was the only one without a welcome mat. I couldn't help but wonder if he was making a statement or if he was too lazy to buy one. I stood there staring up at the home and for a second wondered what it would have been life if she'd grown up here. We probably never would have met after the initial cookie and where would we be now? We probably wouldn't be married or expecting. I never would have had the pleasure of taking her virginity or being her only. My blood boiled at that thought. I was her only and it was staying that way!

Before I knew it I was standing at the front door. It was a deep blood red and I glared at the surface. Blood had never bothered me before but now...after seeing Elena's terror at the sight of it, I didn't think I could ever look at it again. I'd seen Elena worried and I'd seen her frightened but last night was the first time I'd ever seen that level of fear. Even when she had nightmares about her parents it was somewhat manageable. Her eyes scared me to death and I never wanted to feel like that again.

I reached up and rang the doorbell. The sound echoed through the house and I considered how early it was. He was probably still asleep, cozy in his bed with no cares in the world. In a different world I would be standing over his sleeping body, ready to kill him for upsetting Elena. I would take pleasure inflicting pain on him. I was, however, living this life and Elena would hate me if I ended up in prison for life. Who could blame her?

I heard the grumbling, "I'm coming!" and waited patiently. I hadn't really planned out my game plan at this point but I knew I had to do something. I wasn't the type to sit by a hospital bed and do nothing.

I heard the locks sliding away and I knew in a moment I would be face to face with John Gilbert. The door opened a crack and I saw myself looking at John. He did a quick peek before closing the door and sliding a security chain off the door. He looked entirely too well rested for my liking.

"Damon?" He asked softly. The door slid open completely and I was staring at the man who upset my wife. He made her cry. For a second I stared at him blankly...then...

"That's for making Elena cry!" I said as I punched him in the face. His head snapped backwards with a sickening sound and I found myself smiling. I was going for two black eyes if not blood. He pulled himself forward to face me and I punched him again.

"That's for calling her a mistake!" I roared as he stumbled into his home. His knees trembled as he tried to regain his balance. He glared up at me, nursing his nose. I hoped it was broken. He lunged for me and we stumbled out into the yard. He was a sloppy fighter and I easily punched him in the stomach.

He let out a sound like a man cornered before lunging again. This time he surprised me and he hit me in the face. I stumbled backwards before regaining my balance. The next punch collided with his shoulder since he tried to rush me. Collapsing to the dewy grass, we rolled over until I was on top of him.

"You deserve to be alone!" I roared as I punched him again and again. Seconds passed until I felt arms surround me. I was hauled off the bastard and he lay there limply. He groaned softly as two men raced over to check on him. I must have yelled something because they carried me towards the curb, groaning every time I struggled.

The next thing I knew, I felt handcuffs slipping over my wrists. The sheriff had been called and I groaned. Liz Forbes would go either way on my temporary incarceration. She liked me well enough but she didn't take any shit. Damn...perhaps I should have waited for Elena to wake up after all.

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"Liz this is ridiculous! I'm not going to attack a random person," I yelled. I rattled the bars on the single cell and groaned when they barely moved. "Come on! Elena needs me!"

"Well perhaps you should have thought about that before you assaulted John," she said. She was clearly amused by my actions especially when I swore in response. She laughed heartily before finally getting up out of her chair. She walked over to the coffee machine and poured two cups.

"Liz...come on, Elena's in the hospital," I begged. "What if there's a problem?"

"Damon, have a cup of coffee," she offered, "and then wait for me to hear if John is pressing charges. He's conscious but he's still seeing a doctor."

"Release me on bail," I replied. "I'm not a flight risk with my wife in the hospital and my son with my father." I sat the coffee cup on the cot and glared back at her. She smiled before toasting me with her cup.

"Not yet Damon, sit tight," she said. "Why did you punch John anyway?"

"He made Elena cry," I replied bitterly. I sighed and turned to look out the window. I probably shouldn't have punched the guy but...well I wanted to. He had looked surprised to see me but he'd taken the beating like he deserved it. Maybe he was feeling guilty?

"That's no excuse Damon," Liz replied softly. "I wanted to beat the shit out of my ex for leaving me with a daughter to raise alone, but we move on. We have to be strong for our loved ones and let it go."

"Dr. Bennett said stress was a contributing factor," I explained. "After what he did yesterday, I think he deserved it." My fists clenched again in anger and I tried to breathe through it. I couldn't afford Liz deciding to teach me a lesson and keep me here for days. She was that kind of person sometimes and she'd taken some sort of odd interest in me.

"What did John do that was so horrible?" she asked. I sighed and looked back at her. She stared at me quietly and I was suddenly reminded of her daughter. Caroline was usually incredibly loud and ridiculously outgoing. Every so often we would catch her staring at someone with a look of empathy on her face. She seemed to see things others missed and Elena once told me she was the first to ask Elena if she was in love with me. They had been eight.

"He's her father," I murmured.

"I'm sorry," she said, "her father?" I nodded.

"He decided our party was the time to tell her she was an accident who wasn't wanted by him or her biological mother," I answered bitterly. "She was devastated. Her parents who had been perfect in her eyes ended up being her aunt and uncle. It broke her."

"I can't imagine..." Liz trailed off. "Her parents loved her so much. They...they would be so proud of her and you. They saw the two of you together that day and Miranda was pleased. 'A Salvatore will love her completely' Miranda told me. She was right."

"Elena hasn't had time to process," I replied hesitantly. "She was so upset and I felt helpless." I rarely confessed failures to anyone but this one event had thrown me. I was supposed to protect Elena from everything and here I was, unable to do anything.

"When you get out of here," she began, "you should just be there for her. I'm sure she'll have to deal with the consequences of John's sudden interest. She'll need you there to help her since her thoughts will be on the babies and Klaus and you."

"John claims Isobel regretted their decision. When she passed a few weeks ago she told him she wished to have known Elena," I explained, "and I guess he's trying to live up to her final wish."

"John will have no luck with Elena if he does not want it for himself," Liz replied as she finished off her coffee. "She's much too stubborn for that nonsense."

I smiled at that thought. My wife was one of the most stubborn people I'd ever met and as long as it wasn't directed at me then I could sit back and laugh. It's true; John won't have much luck with her until he's proven himself to her. Elena would shake this off and go back to focusing on the family until John decided to knock again.

"Yeah," I murmured. "She doesn't like to let people know they've hurt her. She's a quiet sufferer for the most part. Well except with me."

"We were worried about her," Liz replied thoughtfully, "The council, I mean. When Miranda and Grayson passed, we worried about her but then you took it upon yourself to take care of her." No one ever really talked about Elena's parents because it distressed her so much. Liz shook her head slightly and continued, "Your parents were so worried when they found you two sleeping together. Your mother was distraught thinking you were taking advantage of Elena since everyone knew she was in love with you."

"How did everyone else know?" I asked loudly. Everyone was always telling me how in love she'd been with me but I'd never known. I'd never had a clue until I decided to pursue her.

"Damon, she hated dating," she replied with an eye roll. "Elena only dated a few people to get her friends off her back. We all knew she only got as far with Matt as she did because you were off sleeping around. The number of times I found her sobbing in Caroline's arms..."

I tried to digest this new information. Sure, we'd grown apart during my later college years when she was getting ready for it as well. I'd been going through a wild phase and had slept with countless women, each faceless and easily forgettable. She had suddenly announced she was getting married when I'd come home for Thanksgiving. I don't quite remember what happened while I was home but... by the time Christmas rolled around, he'd cheated and Elena and I had mind-blowing sex over New Years. What a way to ring in the New Year.

"All of us took a special interest in Elena when they died and once she took to you, we worried less," Liz replied. "You were so attuned to every moment with her. You knew the second she was upset and how to make her smile. Oddly enough she seemed to know you that well also. It was pleasing to watch the two of you when you were children."

"Liz..." I started, "please let me out. Elena needs me." Her eyes softened as she watched me. I needed to get out of here. Elena might be awake now and I needed to get to her. Liz sat forward, watching me as she lifted the phone to her ear. She punched a number into it and sat back.

"Hello, this is Sheriff Forbes...yes I'm calling about John Gilbert," she said with authority. She was quiet for a few minutes as she listened to the doctor or nurse rattle off some information. "Charges?"

"Uh huh...right. Conditional? On what?" Liz asked. I watched her quietly when her voice filled with surprise. I didn't like surprises when it came to jail time. What did the asshole want now?

"I'll ask him," Liz said quietly. She covered the receiver with one hand and turned to face me. "Damon, John agreed to not press charges if you would help arrange a dinner or something for him and Elena. He claims you can join as can Klaus if he wants but...he wants dinner."

"That bastard!" I exclaimed. I considered my options for a few minutes and thought about it. "Fine if I can get out of here now." It was a concession I'm sure I'd regret but I was much more concerned with getting to the hospital. Elena could be angry with me later.

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It had been hours since Liz had let me out of the small cell in the Sheriff's office. I'd released my mother from the hospital while taking Klaus into Elena's room. We were going to be a family in this. Elena was still unconscious but they were sure she'd wake soon. Apparently her body had gone into such a stage of hysteria; she'd gone into some sort of deep sleep to recover.

"Will she wake up soon?" Klaus asked softly. I glanced down at the little boy resting in my lap. He looked so tired and I couldn't help but snuggle him closer. He'd broken down when he'd seen Elena in the bed, her eyes shut and body limp. He'd cried loudly for a few minutes until he'd calmed down. He decided to hold her hand and hadn't let go even during his dinner. One handed, he'd eaten four chicken nuggets and about 12 French fries. I couldn't complain since I had only had two bites of a burger before pushing it away.

"Of course," I replied. He nodded solemnly and then closed his eyes.

Finally I felt him drift off to sleep and sighed. I should have taken him home and then came back but I wanted him with me. I wanted him to be nearby when Elena woke up since she'd desperately want to see him. I picked up Klaus and moved him towards the nearby cot. The hospital wasn't about to deny a Salvatore that after the amount of money we funneled into it.

I tugged a hospital blanket up over him and then draped my jacket over him. The blankets were flimsy and I wanted him warm. I'd brought Elena a blanket from home when I'd felt the thin fabric. I turned to her and notice her eyes blinking open slowly.

"Elena?" I whispered as I moved towards her. She glanced up at me surprised before glancing down at her pregnant belly.

"Are they alright?" she croaked. Her lower lip trembled as she watched me carefully. I reached out and stroked her pale cheek softly. She leaned into the touch and I smiled.

"Yes, they're fine," I replied, "It's you I've been worried about." I kissed her forehead softly, knowing doctors would want to see her soon and I wanted my wife for a few moments before that. I watched the tears gather as she reached up and wrapped her arms around me. She cried softly for a few moments before sniffling.

"I was so scared when I saw the blood," she said. "Damon, what happened to your head?"

"Oh...yeah..." I rambled as I looked up. I had forgotten about the bandage Dr. Bennett had given me when I'd finally made my way back to the hospital. "I may have...beaten John."

"Beaten John?" she asked incredulously. Then she giggled, "Did you hurt him?"

"He's bruised and a little bloody, but he'll live," I replied. She laughed again, a loud fluttering laugh that wrapped around me. She looked happy and I felt my heart pump wildly. She was okay; we were okay; and our son with us, perfectly healthy.

"Are you in trouble?"

"No...well we'll discuss it later," I explained. "I'll get the doctor and then we can discuss you coming home."

"Damon..." she murmured softly, "Don't leave me alone please."

"I..." her fear was obvious. I took her hand in mine and pressed the call nurse button. "I won't leave you." She smiled gratefully and relaxed as I leaned in to give her a kiss. Everything would be alright. I was sure of it.

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So she's okay and so are the twins! Next up we'll deal with Elena leaving the hospital and what that means for the rest of her pregnancy. For the record she's roughly 5 months pregnant. CMI is up next!

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	14. Wife in Need

So I'm back.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Nearly six weeks had passed since that night when I actually thought I was dying. The sight of blood down there when it shouldn't be there had scared me to the point of hysteria. Thank goodness Damon had remained as calm as he could under the circumstances but I'd seen the terror in his eyes moments after I woke up in the hospital. He was on the edge of collapse that night even though he brushed it off. I'd taken his hand while the doctor checked all my vitals and told us to relax for the evening. I was to eat light foods until the next day when a course of action would be prescribed.

I had stared at my tired husband for two seconds before urging him to sit next to me on the bed where I could comfort him. He leaned into my embrace as I hugged him while he shook from the emotions he had been bottling up. I'd never seen Damon so scared and I knew I couldn't say anything to take it away.

He'd protested when I told him I wanted him to take our son home and have a night's sleep. He'd spent about twenty minutes arguing with me before he agreed if I'd consent to letting one of his family members remain with me. Twenty minutes after that, Stefan was hunched in the arm chair, looking exhausted but awake enough to watch over me for the evening.

Tears had come from Klaus once he realized they were going home without me. It nearly broke my heart but I told Damon to take him home for sleep. I'd promised him he could come visit me in the morning and stay with me for the day. He'd quieted at that but I knew he had trouble leaving. I didn't like seeing my boy so upset and there was little I could do to help.

The next morning the course of action was discussed. It wasn't horrible I guess. I had been overdoing it of course and Damon gave me a look that meant, "bedrest until I say so." Doctor Bennett had relented to semi-bedrest in the interim. I was to be laying down at least half my awake time and sitting half of the remaining time. I was encouraged to go for walks and permitted to continue in sexual activities but to not be too adventurous. Damon actually looked ill when I was granted the opportunity to continue relations with him. He didn't talk about it and hadn't touched me for the past five weeks no matter how much I begged.

So I sat and sat and spent time with my son while my husband pretended I carried the plague. Sure he slept in bed with me and held me, kissed me, ate meals with me, and watched all my movements. He just didn't want to sleep with me and give me that intimacy. Fuck was I horny!

Even now I was sitting on the beautiful porch swing he'd spent a weekend assembling while Klaus spent some time with his grandparents. It was another weekend when I'd put on some brand new maternity lingerie and tried to seduce him. I'd never seen him run so fast, coming back two hours later with a brand new porch swing. It had taken all weekend but he'd finally pulled me out to sit on it, wrapping me up so tightly in a light blanket I started sweating bullets. It was June for goodness sake!

I rocked back and forth slowly, rubbing a hand over my swollen belly and thinking about the upcoming bedrest I would be dealing with shortly. Dr. Bennett thought I'd be put on complete bedrest for my final month if I made it that long. He thought it would be an early birth and I was starting to hope it would be too. I was always sore and tired and horny and nothing ever seemed to change. My one saving grace was Klaus who would sit down and play games with me endlessly. It was a nice distraction.

All I had were memories of sex with Damon and I couldn't help but think about our first time all those years ago and the months afterwards when we couldn't keep our hands off each other. I'd never been much of an exhibitionist but those days had done something to me and we'd been everywhere together. The road trip had been especially wonderful and adventurous.

I glanced out at the street and back to my watch. Damon had promised to be home by noon while Klaus was spending a day with Stefan and his girlfriend. Still sworn to secrecy I never mentioned it to Damon, figuring if Klaus could keep the secret then I would as well. So far he was a champ. It was now 1:00 and Damon had not called. I knew exactly what he was doing and I wasn't pleased in the slightest. He'd get "distracted" or his phone battery had "died". There would be some excuse so Klaus would be coming home and tonight he'd be tired or I would be asleep and we wouldn't have sex again.

What happened to sex maniac Damon?

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The afternoon passed quietly as I leaned back to doze against the porch swing. I wasn't expecting company or any other distractions so if Damon wanted to hide from me then I would get something out of this time. Usually I read something I'd never read before and usually hadn't heard of before clicking the little "add to cart" button on . I'd been reading so much in the past six weeks; Damon had to order a little bookshelf for me to keep the new additions.

I was spending money left and right in my haste to perfect the nursery and occupy myself during those long, lonely evenings. I wasn't questioning our marriage per se but I was curious about Damon's suddenly frigid attitude towards intimacy. Even the kisses seemed off like I would break with a harder touch. It was annoying and pissed me off to no end.

"Well don't you look adorable," a familiar voice trilled. I looked up and squealed in happiness. Getting up quickly was out of the option and thankfully she saw that. A second later I was hugging one of my closest, long-distance friends.

"Rose! What are you doing here?" I asked as I hugged her fiercely. Rose Wellington-Jones always looked exactly the same as when I'd first seen her a few years ago in that dorm room. Her hair was cut short but it had grown out just a little bit. She was dressed stylishly in tight jeans and a cute tank top, showing off the tattoo on her shoulder. She still had that same smile and it seemed Germany hadn't changed her too much. One of my saddest goodbyes was seeing her off at a train station bound for Philadelphia where Rose and her brand-new husband were flying to Germany.

"Well, Trevor got transferred finally," she said dramatically. Rose hadn't been thrilled about the move to Germany but had shouldered on under the premise, he was her husband and she loved him. "We'll be in Baltimore actually while he sets up shop. I can come down and visit sometimes! I've missed you so much."

"Oh I've missed you too," I replied. Rose had been my one true confidante after my weekend with Damon and she knew all of the ins and outs of our relationship. While it took me months to confess to Bonnie and Caroline, Rose had known all along and helped me deal with my raging emotions. She also kept an eye on Damon for me and let me know if Dr. Katherine "the slut" Pierce tried to rekindle the sexual relationship she'd had with Damon.

"Look at you Mrs. Salvatore, pregnant and glowing!" she exclaimed as she slid onto the porch swing beside me. "I think I'll always see that skinny high school girl sitting in the hallway, waiting for that idiotic Damon Salvatore. It's unbelievable to see you sitting here carrying his children and looking so damn grown up."

I laughed softly at that. I could remember everything about our first meeting, all the way down to her filthy futon and yet I wouldn't want to go back to that time in my life ever again. I was alone then, waiting for Damon to realize I existed and to give me the time of day. Even now with our intimate moments being few and far between, I knew he loved me.

"Sometimes I think I'll wake up in November and wonder if all of this was some sort of fantasy," I replied softly. "It's only been six months for us and I worry that maybe I'll wake up and have to watch him sleep with all those other women again."

"Elena, he may have been with other women but I have never seen a man so in love with a woman in my life. You two are perfect for each other, challenging and pushing each other until you two come out on top. Okay well until Damon comes out on top," Rose laughed. "I always said you would be the best thing to ever happen to Damon if he could just let himself fall in love."

"He is very different with me," I murmured. "Why doesn't he want...?"

"To sleep with you?" Rose asked intuitively. "He called me while you were unconscious in the hospital, you know?"

"He did?" I asked. I'd had no idea he'd even called Rose and she hadn't said a word when I called her a few days letter to explain why I hadn't responded to her email. She'd seemed surprised to hear from me and had offered to fly right out. Why hadn't she said?

"He was freaked out Elena," Rose explained. "You two were making love and you started bleeding. He was terrified."

"He...blames himself?" I whispered. "But it wasn't his..."

"Fault?" Rose finished. "Of course not but Damon is seeing making love equaling you in the hospital. I'm sure he knows it's not his fault but his subconscious is linking the two..."

"Psycho-babel much?" I joked lightly. It had been our inside joke since I had found out she was a Psych major with a minor in business. She was the ultimate therapist with all sorts of advice being offered freely and without reservation. "Any ideas?"

"Seduce him then talk," she replied. "Damon needs some sex just as much as you do. Jump him first then discuss his issues."

"Well thank you Dr. Rose," I replied. She patted my hand gently before sighing loudly.

"So anyway, Trav is meeting me for dinner and to check into the hotel," Rose began, I want to get together with you guys this weekend and meet that new son of yours. Knowing the two of you, Niklaus must be gorgeous and so amazing to get the two of you to fall in love with him so much. Do you think it's cool?"

"Of course!" I said as Rose helped me up to my feet. "I want to catch up with you guys and if I get a few minutes, I'll fill you in on what happened all those weekends ago."

"You mean with Kat Pierce? Holy shit!" she squealed. "I've been begging for years to hear what happened after you left my dorm. How could you keep it from me all this time!"

"She never touched Damon again, did she?" I asked slyly. "That bitch knew he was mine from that Saturday night on. Maybe Damon did on a totally different level..."

"So seriously, you'll tell me?" Ross asked at the porch steps.

"Of course. Plus it's probably time I tell Damon why the good doctor never contacted him after that weekend," I replied. To this day Damon didn't know what had happened only he'd received an "A" and she never called him. He had expressed some confusion about it but I'd managed to distract him enough with a brand-new negligee.

Good times...good times.

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Damon was sitting on Klaus's bed, reading the final chapter of the third Harry Potter book looking every bit a father. Klaus was snuggled under the covers desperately trying to keep his eyes open while I watched on in pleasure. They were oblivious to me in the doorway and I was pleased I was able to watch my two boys just being normal. I pressed a hand against the soft kicking coming from my girls before turning away to head to the bedroom. I had plans.

I slid into the bathroom and unwrapped my robe, staring in the mirror at the brand new lingerie I'd managed to buy before Damon came in with his silly excuses. It was pink which wasn't my usual shade but it looked innocent like I did the last time I wore a sexy little baby doll number to seduce Damon.

The bra was fitted, hiking my heavier breasts up to form tantalizing cleavage. Just underneath was a bright pink ribbon which held gauzy material over my pregnant belly. The barely there panties seemed a little like balloon underwear since I was so heavy but it looked sexy enough...right? If Damon turned me away then I'd have to resign myself to a sexless marriage because this rejection might just kill me.

The vanilla and lavender candles were all lit and the bed had been made up with silkier bedding. The pillows were arranged to promote reclining and loving moments between two people. I wasn't much for seduction but I had to try in order to get what I wanted and what I needed. I needed comfort from my husband and I needed some damn sex!

I heard his footfalls and the soft click of Klaus's bedroom door. Klaus had trouble falling asleep and we'd begun taking turns staying with him until he fell asleep and tonight was Damon's turn. The way Damon sat with him and held him when he had nightmares made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I thought he wouldn't like the idea of adopting Klaus but Damon had proved he was the perfect father for our son.

I moved to the bed quickly and lay down amongst the pillows, trying my damndest to look alluring. I wasn't very good at it as Damon had always been the master of seduction when it came to our moments alone. He was a pro at it while I tended to be a bit rusty. I ran my fingers through my hair quickly and pressed a hand to my stomach.

"Shh girls...Mommy needs a little time alone with Daddy," I murmured. They quieted immediately and I smiled. Hopefully they would be that accommodating once they were born. Well probably not but...I could dream of sleep and quiet for a little while longer.

"E...Elena?" Damon asked from the doorway. His eyes were blazing with lust but he was trying to tamp it down and seem indifferent. He wanted this too and damn we were going to have it! I propped myself up and smiled at him.

"Come to bed Darling," I whispered. He jumped at my tone and hesitantly slid closer until I could take his hand in mine. His eyes dropped down to my pregnant stomach and I saw the tremor move through him. He was scared of sex. He was petrified of sex.

"Elena, I don't...I don't think it's a good idea," He stammered. "I'm...kind of tired...?"

"No you're not," I replied as I tugged him into bed with me. He fell quickly and braced himself above me as I wrapped one leg around his body.

"Elena, please...we can't," he begged. His words said no but if that hardness pressing against my stomach argued with him.

"Remember that summer when we were headed for the mountain house?" I asked suddenly and I saw confusion spread across his face. He nodded slowly so I continued. "Remember how the car broke down?" I kissed him gently as I finished my sentence and I felt his slow response.

"Elena, no," he said as he broke away. I tightened my grip on him and smiled encouragingly.

"Remember how hot it was when we had to walk those four miles to the cabin?" I murmured as I caressed down his neck and over his shoulders. He relaxed for a moment before his eyes met mine again.

"You got hot and wanted to go swimming in the lake?" he replied huskily. "You were so uncomfortable with sex and...nudity and you wanted to skinny dip. I couldn't believe it."

"I was so hot and sweaty so I just stripped down and jumped in the water," I continued as I reached down to pull his shirt over his head. He adjusted himself and allowed me to do that, leaning down to kiss my neck softly.

"And you asked me to join you," he said with a smile. "It was the first time we made love outside. You were so sexy."

"Am I still sexy?" I asked softly. He pulled back from me and looked horrified.

"Of course you are," he replied furiously. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and I want you all the time. Why would you ask that?"

"Because you won't touch me Damon," I answered. He moved to say something but I shhed him quickly. "No, don't lie. You haven't touched me since I went into the hospital. It wasn't your fault Damon."

"But what if...?" he began.

"No! Dr. Bennett said it was a combination of factors but it would have happened eventually Damon. It wasn't your fault, "I said furiously. I pulled him to me and kissed him thoroughly until he was responding in kind. "Let go Damon. I love you and I know you would never hurt me."

He looked at me for a minute before smirking. He ran one hand down my body to play with the pink ribbon. Then he did what I told him, he let go.

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"Mmm..." I murmured as Damon kissed my shoulder gently. That had been explosive and I think I may have wept a little. It would explain the tear tracks on my cheeks as I tried to calm my breathing. Damon had thrown himself into our lovemaking with abandon, only needing a few soothing words to continue our lovemaking. We spent hours caressing each other and building up to some mind-blowing orgasms which finally seemed to soothe that incredible ache.

"Better?" he asked as his hands slipped over my hips teasingly.

"Mm hmm. How do you feel?" I whispered. He chuckled as he pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Perfect," he replied. "This...I missed this." I smiled when his hand slipped down to press against those dancing kicks. "You feel okay?"

"Yes. We're all fine," I replied. "When Daddy takes care of Mommy then everything is fine."

"Hmm..." he whispered. He nuzzled my neck softly before saying something I'd never expected.

"So...full disclosure. Kat Pierce called."

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Sup all! I'm still here! This chapter is a little short but it's serving as a transition chapter. Kat Pierce is back, Elena has to deal with John, and the twins are coming! We're nearing the last third of the story. Next TBW will update so we get to see what happened with Kat originally. Then CMI will update and then this one. I'll try to get on a more regular schedule again.

So review replies…still working on them.

Please leave a review. I will respond eventually to every single one. I've been really busy with my second job and haven't had much time to devote to reviews. It's been writing versus reviews. I figure you'd rather have the chapter.

Keep reading!


	15. Changes

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Once when I was a bit young, I thought I loved Katherine Pierce. It was a moment of stupidity I often said but at the time I was young, stupid, and missing the greatest thing that would ever happen to me. Before Elena looked at me like a lover, I felt like I was missing something amazing in my life. I wanted to feel loved and accepted by someone who looked at me as though I wasn't a failure. Unfortunately when you go looking for something like that you usually make a huge mistake.

Katherine was that huge mistake for me. Foolishly I'd let myself get taken in by her seductive qualities and her childish enthusiasm. She was always finding ways to entice me into her bed or into her life. I had been easy to lead into various situations as an escort or some other little plaything. I was all too obliging to every whim she could possible imagine until I saw Elena wanted to visit.

She was the opposite of everything Katherine stood for and I didn't want Elena to be tainted by that horrible relationship. The day Elena was scheduled to arrive I broke it off with Katherine. I'd never seen Katherine so livid as the moment I made it clear the relationship was done. The class was over and I never wanted Elena to find out about her. Of course, Rose made it painfully clear I was seeing her.

I'd never seen the pain in Elena's eyes look like that since her parents had passed. She looked at me with this level of pain which seared me to my soul. I had let Katherine's name slip in a moment of weakness and Elena had been outraged. Understandably so, I had spent hours trying to find her and apologize. Then she gave me the greatest gift after my massive screw-up and I found myself keeping the Katherine debacle to a minimum. Of course she couldn't stay away.

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"So full disclosure...Kat Pierce called," I said trying to sound nonchalant. It had been the strangest message I'd ever received and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She had sounded contrite and apologetic yet oddly needy. She hadn't specified her reason for calling only that she needed to talk to me.

"I figured she would," Elena said quietly. I froze behind her, rolling her onto her back before resuming the conversation.

"What do you mean by that?!" I demanded.

"Simmer down," she said playfully. "I know you aren't getting into trouble. Her paperwork is sitting on my desk."

"Paper work?" I asked hesitantly. Elena oversaw basic paperwork at her job but there was no reason for Katherine's papers to ever go across her desk...unless...

"She's seeking to get approval for Adoption. Candace slid it to me but I haven't begun the basic checks yet," Elena explained. Her hand slid down over my side until she was doing tempting little touches on my hip. I reached down and grabbed her hand, pinning it to the pillow.

"Now cut that out," I whispered as her leg curled over my hip.

"I don't really want to talk about her right now," Elena whispered as she nipped at my jaw. "We can talk about her tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow," I whispered back.

"Well daylight then," she replied.

"Wait...why are you doing checks? Isn't that Candace's job?" I asked suddenly.

"Daylight," she said firmly. Well who could argue with a woman who had her hand...?

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"Mmm...now this is a nice sight," I said. Elena looked up from scrambling some eggs to smile at me knowingly.

"You just like me barefoot and pregnant. You hate me in the kitchen," she said as she turned to stare at the eggs with complete concentration. I smiled again and slid behind her, cupping her growing stomach in my hands. "Stop that."

"Stop what?" I asked as I kissed her bare shoulder. She gripped her turner like she was considering how effective it would be against me before she put it on the counter.

"You know I'll burn them," she replied. It was true after all. Elena had this uncanny ability to ruin everything in the kitchen. I'd seen her burn toast and I'd seen her set fire to various cooking utensils. It was a marvel the eggs were still egg-like.

"I know and I'll laugh and then make blintzes," I replied. "I was thinking blueberry."

"You have so little faith," she said grimly.

"Only because I know you so well," I replied as I kissed her cheek softly. "I love you."

"I love you too, you rude man," she replied.

"I could do some rude things to you right now," I bit back.

"Blueberry blintzes please," she said as she turned off the stove. "They would taste bad anyway."

"One of these days I'll teach you," I offered as I reached into the fridge for the necessary ingredients. She slid into the arm chair near the island and sighed in comfort. She couldn't take the hard stools or the kitchen chairs much and I'd bought the chair I'd found her sitting in when we went to buy new kitchen pans after her last cooking attempt.

"You keep saying that," she replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I think you like to lead me on."

"Never," I replied playfully as I slid her cup of tea towards her.

"This is hellish. I want my coffee!" she growled.

"Tea is better for you," I replied for about the fiftieth time this week alone. She hated the herbal stuff but Dr. Bennett told her it was the best for her as her pregnancy progressed. Plus she didn't really need the caffeine.

"One day I'm taking all of your alcohol and making it prune juice! See how you like it," she shot back.

"Have I mentioned you look ravishing this morning?"

"Um...good try," she said as she leaned forward to snack on a few blueberries. "So let's talk Kat Pierce hmm?"

"Sure," I said as I began the art of rolling my blintzes. The things were works of art and it seemed a shame to eat them. She rolled her eyes at my pout before she sipped the offensive tea slowly.

"Candace is retiring," she began. "She wants to spend more time with her grandkids since Dave died. Her daughter is still going to school and her boys need someone home."

"Sounds like Candace is ready to go back to raising kids," I replied.

"Oh she can't survive without at least three kids hanging off of her," Elena said. "But then you know that."

"So are you handling her caseload until they hire a new manager?" I asked as I arranged each of the blintzes on the pan. Elena grew quiet and I found myself watching her rub her stomach softly. She was the epitome of motherhood as she sat there grimacing over her tea. She had never looked more beautiful.

"They offered it to me," she said quietly. "No interview necessary."

"Elena..." I said softly as I put down everything and moved to her chair. Kneeling down in front of her, I slid my hand in hers. "They offered you the manager position?"

"Well Candace said the Council voted on it since it's a public entity and I was first choice. I know the kids and procedures. I've been there the longest and have the connections with some of the top people outside of Mystic Falls," Elena explained.

"Honey, you should do this," I said. "You love that place and those kids. Who better to champion them?"

"Do you think I could handle it?" she asked. She stared at me with this unsure look on her face and I hated it. Elena was one of the strongest people I know and I hated seeing her doubt herself. She was born for this job. I took the tea away and moved towards my cup of coffee.

"Drink up! We're celebrating," I said as I reached for a second mug.

"Damon, what are you doing?" she asked as I thrust one cup into her hands.

"One cup won't kill you so drink up," I replied. "You are taking that job and you are going to kick some serious ass."

"Well I hope not," she replied. "In this line of work they frown on violence. Do you mind being a stay-at-home Dad?"

"Like you could stop me," I said as I leaned down to kiss her. "We always knew you were the breadwinner Elena. I'm not trained in anything and I'd much rather take the kids. Plus I can actually feed them."

"Stop that!" she said as she slapped my shoulder. "I can feed them!"

"Try again Elena," I shot back. "Sandwiches won't sustain them forever."

"Maybe you should sleep on the couch," she said as she sipped at the coffee. For a moment I felt jealous by the little moan she made. "Candace said she'd stay on for a few months since I'll be laid up even more and then the Center always gives six weeks maternity leave. She said she'll stay until the twins are born and then Bonnie said she'd help out until I'm back."

"Sounds like they want you and no one else," I replied. "I'm so proud."

"I'm worried I'll get too involved in it and I'll spend too much time there," she said. She reached up to run her fingers through my hair. She looked so worried about the possibility she could become a workaholic.

"Baby if you think I'd let you stay there all night then you are sadly mistaken," I said. "I have needs and I want to make more babies with you."

"More?" Elena asked. "We don't even know if we'll want more after these two."

"Trust me you are so beautiful and I love looking at you when you are pregnant," I replied. "I never really thought much about children and you have given me three. Before you cut me off, just because you didn't give birth to Klaus doesn't mean anything. You brought him into our lives and that means everything."

"So more?"

"More."

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"Well, well, well, look what blew into town," I said as I slid into a booth at the Grill. Rose glanced up at me and smiled brightly.

"Well look at you Mr. Salvatore," she said with a little mock salute. Rose looked exactly the same as she had two years ago when he'd watch her take off for Germany. Elena had been distraught but put on a brave face over the loss of one of her best friends. In an odd way it had allowed us to become closer. Elena had sought a lot of comfort during that time and well I'd benefitted in many, many ways.

"And look at you Mrs. Wellington-Jones," I replied.

"Oh stop," she said as she waved her hands in a dismissive way. "I still can't believe you're married and a father! I never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah well...Elena could see it," I replied. I gestured to the waitress for a cup of coffee and leaned back against the aging red booth. The Grill could use a little updating but the town couldn't seem to let the business do it. They all loved the rustic, down-home look and they wouldn't change it for the world.

"Yes she could but then I always thought she was too innocent for her own good," Rose said wryly. "After all she got with you and six weeks later she was pregnant. God could you move any faster?"

"It's not like I thought to myself, 'hmm let's impregnate her right now'...come on Rose," I replied as the waitress slipped the coffee in front of me before sidling away. My acquaintances always caused those reactions since most of them were...different.

"Yeah well I saw her the other day and my God has she gotten huge!" Rose exclaimed. "You really do your job, don't you?"

"She is incredibly beautiful," I replied with a scowl. I disliked anyone commenting on Elena's growing size unless it made her glow. She was damn beautiful and deserved to be told every single day.

"Of course he is," Rose said dismissively. "I see you two made up."

"And then some," I offered. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about it."

"Nope," she replied. "Look I'm only in town for another day and I'd love to do dinner. Are you two free oh and that little boy?"

"We'll work it out," I said. "One of our closest friends is in town and we'll celebrate. Out or in?"

"Either is fine."

"Well out is probably better since Elena will try to cook if we stay in..." I trailed off.

"Does she still burn toast?"

"Sometimes but she's trying," I replied. It was really adorable even when she tried to deny her epic fail within the kitchen. "She managed to make mashed potatoes the other day without ruining them so it's progress."

"You two are so cute!" Rose said as she moved to stand. "I would hang but I'm terribly jet-lagged and I'd probably fall asleep on you."

"Hey Rose," I said as she moved to leave. "You look great!"

"Thanks Damon," she said before turning to leave. She spun around quickly and seemed to wrestle with something. "I haven't told anyone yet but I'm pregnant."

"That's great," I exclaimed as I pulled her into a hug.

"Trevor is a little...skittish with kids and I'm worried," she whispered.

"He'll come around and if he doesn't then we could rough him up a bit," I joked.

"You're a great guy Damon and Elena is one lucky girl."

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The next two weeks passed uneventfully as we began to prepare for the twins. Elena was looking at six weeks more at the most while Dr. Bennett seemed to think four would do it. The twins grew in size and Elena began struggling with the added discomfort and it took everything in me to try and make her feel beautiful. She seldom went out any more while Candace brought the work to her.

I watched our son become more and more comfortable with his new life as he began to realize he was never going back to the Center. It was as if he was suddenly allowed sunlight after years of being kept in the dark. He was ecstatically happy constantly and his enthusiasm was contagious. In his newfound happiness he began to cultivate friendships.

I turned to watch my wife trying to read through her nervousness. Her hands shook a little as she finally threw the book to the wicker table nearby. She sighed and put her head in her hands. I moved from my perch on the railing and slid into the porch swing next to her.

"Why am I so nervous?" she whispered.

"Because John is an asshole and he's coming here," I replied bitterly. I hated the man but Elena had insisted a deal was a deal and John wasn't making it easy. Every time he saw me he made it clear he expected dinner soon. Finally we'd come to an agreement and John was on his way for the one promised dinner.

"What if...what if...?" she mumbled as she rubbed her stomach forcefully.

"If he upsets you, he's out," I growled. "He is not going to stress you out."

"I hope so Damon," she replied. "I don't want to go to the hospital tonight." It was one thing to hear her nervousness and another to hear fear. She folded her arms over her stomach and snuggled into my arms.

"You won't baby," I promised. I slid my hand down to press against her stomach and smiled at the soft kick I felt.

"I swear they know it's you," Elena said with a smile. She leaned up to kiss me and I let my other hand cup the back of her head softly. She made a soft, content sound and I opened my mouth to play with her a bit.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," John said as he walked up the stairs to the porch. Elena stiffened immediately but then paused in confusion. I followed her gaze and noticed her staring at his arm load of gift boxes.

"Hello John," I said as Elena continued to stare at him.

"Damon..." John nodded in greeting. He moved towards one of the chairs near Elena before sitting down with his armload. He handed Elena the top box and she stared at it questioningly.

"Isobel picked that out before she died. She'd heard about the twins but when she realized she would never meet them, she spent a lot of time picking out gifts," John explained. "She...regretted never knowing you Elena."

"I've been around for years John," Elena replied angrily. "I've been here."

"I know," John said. "Don't blame Isobel for my stupidity. She loved you so much but wanted a better life for you. We weren't...good as parents. Grayson and Miranda and then Giuseppe and Gianna were much better suited to caring for you."

"Why are you here now?" I growled out. John sighed heavily while Elena watched him closely. Elena, much like Klaus, usually had some level of trust issues which I understood completely. Both had been used to being abandoned and had to rely on others to take care of them. Elena had found her confidence in college and we both found ourselves so proud of our son for beginning to find his comfort level. Now I looked at my wife and hoped she would decide what was best for her, regardless of her past feelings. I wanted to see her happy regardless of what she chose.

Elena made her decision as she untied the ribbon slowly as she tried to remain stable as she unwrapped the first gift she'd probably ever gotten from her father. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to offer any possible comfort she might need. She gasped as she tugged the blankets out of the boxes.

"They're names are on these..." Elena gasped as she ran her finger over the names we had chosen. Each blanket was thick and warm and a creamy white. "Thank you."

"I heard you had names chosen so I took Isobel's gift and had them embroidered for you," John explained. "We picked out some things for your son too. We wanted to be a part of your lives."

"Why should I believe you now?" Elena asked.

"I get it," John began, "I've been horrible and absent but I want to be here now. It was a regret we lived with all these years and we couldn't bear to change your life. We...wanted to bring you home but Grayson...well he sent you to Giuseppe and Gia. He was right. We would have failed you."

"John...won't you come in?" Elena asked suddenly.

"I...I thought..." John stuttered.

"I don't remember them much anymore and I want my children to know about my family too," she said as she patted her stomach. "Maybe we can start there and see where things go?"

"You'd really let me in?" John asked incredulously.

"You're the last member of my family and I barely remember Isobel. You can fill in some blanks and then...maybe if you really have changed then you can become part of our lives," Elena offered.

"Nothing would mean more to me..." John said. "Nothing."

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So we're winding down here. I'm thinking maybe three more chapters and an epilogue but we'll see. I hope you enjoyed seeing John back in the picture and maybe we'll see that relationship over some time.

Next up is probably Small Time Charm or Clue Me In. I also want to finish Their Best Weekend. Thanks for being patient!

Please give me some feedback and I'll respond as soon as I possibly can!

Thanks!


	16. Healing

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Here we go.

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I had never thought I would be sitting across the table from Dr. Katherine Pierce again after what had happened the last time. I was pretty sure the woman would never want to even look at me after all the threats I made against her career but I guess I was wrong. She hadn't changed much over the years and for that I was a little jealous. She was as thin as ever and had a look about her that would coax almost any man to her. Her hair was long and curly as though she could no longer bother with straightening it and she looked a little pinched.

"I'm surprised you agreed to this meeting," she said quietly. She clutched the cup of tea in her hands with a death grip as she struggled to maintain composure. There was only one reason she would need a meeting with me and that was the subject of adoption through the Center. The paperwork had been meticulously filled out and I had noticed the slight emotional writing over the odd essay at the end. We liked to see their desire to adopt in written form and often the essays were so tear-stained they were nearly impossible to read. Hers was no different.

"Years have gone by Dr. Pierce," I commented. "We have gone a long way since that day."

"How long have you two been married?" she asked nervously.

"A little over six months," I replied dreamily. I had been in an odd mood recently and Damon had found himself with an emotional, weepy wife. I pinched the bridge of my nose to stop the crying from starting.

"Damon wasted no time with pregnancy," she trailed off.

"We got engaged at Christmas and apparently conceived the twins at the same time," I replied. "They were an unexpected gift."

"Damon once told me he didn't want children," she confessed.

"No he had a little trouble initially but he came around," I explained. "He thought he wouldn't be a good father." Damon had been unsure in the beginning but now he was embracing every second of fatherhood with a zeal that left me tired. Him and Klaus were always on the go, doing things and taking care of me. It was unnerving to find a seven year old asking if he could get me anything. Although I refused to think about it I knew he'd make a woman very happy someday down the road. He would treat women as Damon did and would accept no less than intense, soul-clenching love.

"I...I always wanted children," she confessed softly. I considered the paperwork in front of me at that statement. She was excellent on paper but often times a single parent was not considered for adoption. There were odd cases but we tended to frown upon parents who needed to work long hours or two jobs. While there was no question over their loving a child, we tended to be hesitant. Dr. Pierce had recently left her teaching post and was still single.

"You think you can provide for a child with no career?" I asked. She grimaced at the words but recovered quickly. She was controlled and utterly calm as she tried to maintain professionalism. She sighed and let go of the cup of tea.

"I left the job because I want children," she began. "My job consisted of long hours between classes, office hours, and research for articles. I had trouble dating around my schedule and there was no chance of children."

"And how would you provide for the child?" I asked. She brushed her hair out of her face, nervously which betrayed her state of mind. She seemed calm but underneath it all she was like any other prospective parent. It was comforting.

"I've been writing on and off over the years...around my professional publications," she explained. "I have a book deal for three books and the advance is substantial enough to support myself and a child until the other payments come in. I would be home with the child all day and could provide a stable environment around my writing."

"And what would you do if your writing fell through?" I asked. I had to know what her back-up plan would be if something came up. Although no one could plan for their future entirely we tended to few adoptions from the Center carefully. We had the best placement rate in the state and we knew it had to do with our strict policies and utter love for the children.

"I have an offer from NYU to be a guest lecturer for a semester at the time of my choosing," she replied. "It's not something I am interested in but I would do it to support my child."

"Why now Dr. Pierce?"

"Katherine, please," she corrected. "I think it's acceptable for first name basis after our past, don't you?"

"I suppose," I replied. "Now why are you looking to adopt at this time?"

"I nearly got to the altar two years ago when I found out I couldn't bear children. The doctor made it clear it was impossible and my fiancé was uninterested in adopting or surrogacy. I was deemed a failure and discarded," she replied. "Don't feel sorry for me. He was an ass and I'm happy to be rid of him."

"No one deserves to be treated like that," I murmured.

"I thought Damon could have been the one," she whispered. "You're very lucky."

"I say thanks every day when I wake up with Damon," I confirmed. "I wake up knowing I am the luckiest woman in the world."

"He only had eyes for you back then" she said. My eyes met hers in surprise. I'd never imagined that. "Oh he would deny it to no end but even then he was in love with you. He felt such guilt over missing an email or a phone call. He talked about you always but he seemed hesitant to try anything to move further in your eyes. He was terrified he'd overstep his boundaries. What changed?"

"His brother and a friend decided it was time he made me fall in love with him," I said with a smile. "They had this horribly simple plan to get us together but then...I've loved him for years."

"I knew you loved him then when you stormed into my office, threatening me with the best you had," Katherine said with a smile. "I knew you two would find each other eventually."

"I hope you know I'm passing this up with my recommendation," I finally offered.

"I...thank you?" she finally replied. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously before looking up at me questioningly.

"Your application is flawless. Your background checks turned up nothing and you seem to have the best plans for supporting your child," I explained. "I will pass the application up and if it clears the next level then they will begin allowing you to socialize with some of the children. If all goes well then you'll proceed through the paperwork and continual meetings as you bond with a child."

"Will you be handling the levels?" she asked tentatively. I understood the desire to know since whoever handled her case file would be instrumental in aiding her adoption goals. I nodded before closing the folder containing her paperwork.

"I will be on maternity leave for a little while since I'm due in about three weeks," I explained. "Candace will oversee the basics until I'm fully back at work which then she'll be retiring and I'll take on the cases personally. When I hear back from my superiors about your approval, I will personally call you unless I am currently giving birth to the girls. I have a personal investment in the children there."

"Is it true you adopted a boy recently?"

"Yes," I replied blissfully. "I've cared for Klaus since he was a toddler and he's always been close to me. Damon fell in love with him over Christmas and found a way to legally make him ours. Damon really took to being a father because of our son."

"You are very lucky Mrs. Salvatore," she said as she stood up. "Thank you for meeting with me and giving me a chance."

"We seek to place children in happy, healthy homes and I hope we are able to help you," I replied. "Good luck to you Dr. Pierce."

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The week rolled on after my meeting with Katherine Pierce and I found myself wishing to give birth to end the endless discomfort. My lower back was killing me slowly and I had begun to stay on bed rest all day because I wore out too fast if I walked around. The girls shifted in my belly, lowering themselves slightly. Dr. Bennett claimed my time was close but with each day I began to wonder if the man was a liar.

Damon had taken to doing everything I couldn't as well as taking on some new duties to ease my discomfort. The sex was fantastic as we made love every day sometimes multiple times. It often made me think of our first weekend together when he'd shown me how far my body could go. It had been a week of reminiscing also as we thought of the girls and our futures as a family.

Klaus had been instrumental in planning for the future and I was happy he seemed okay with the girl's eminent arrival. He was running around taking pictures and making art work for the girls' room while keeping me company. He was all smiles and cheerful behavior as he stayed with me all day.

Our house was becoming a boarding house in its own right as people kept dropping by. At the beginning of the week Caroline, Bonnie, and Rose had kept me company while Damon took Klaus back-to-school shopping. After they left Gianna and Giuseppe stayed all day and often Stefan dropped by in the evening. I was under the impression they were taking bets on my actual delivery so I of course put my bet down for September 5th. Damon had chosen September 12th but I had a feeling I'd win.

September 3rd was bitterly cold for a summer day and we'd considered the onslaught of fall would be early. Sweaters were pulled from drawers and people were already talking about the annual fall festival. Damon had carried me down to the porch swing while he and Klaus went for groceries, leaving me with a paperback book and a little solace. It wasn't much but I was glad to be left alone for a few minutes.

"Do you mind?" John asked as he walked up the front walk. "I can go if you'd rather be alone."

"No no," I managed. "My back has been bothering me a lot so talking might help."

John stepped forward and took his usual chair nearby. Our relationship was tenuous at best but we were trying. He came by every other day with small gifts and stories about my biological mother and his past. He seemed genuinely interested in me now and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because of Isobel's death. He didn't talk about it much but it seemed as though he was looking for changes in his life and I was the first one.

"I saw Damon at the store and worried you were alone," he said softly. "You shouldn't be alone at this point. Isobel went into birth with you suddenly and she had trouble getting to the phone to call for help."

"Were you there when I was born?" I broached. We hardly spoke about my birth at this point in time but I'd wondered about his level of involvement. He didn't have any pictures of that time or if he did, he wasn't sharing.

"Of course," he replied. "I named you."

"You...really?" I asked. I had always wondered about that since no one seemed to know where the name came from. My parents hadn't told anyone why they chose the name and supposedly wouldn't even confirm who suggested it.

"It was the name I championed from the name book," he explained. "Grayson wanted Sophia while Miranda wanted Laurel. Isobel preferred Susanna and well I picked Elena. I guessed the delivery date correctly so I got to pick. So...thank me you didn't get Susanna."

"Why do you say that?"

"You were born at 11:55pm. Five more minutes and you would have been a Suzy," he joked. "She was a bit mental when she was pregnant."

"Oh...what did the contractions feel like? Did she ever tell you?" I asked quickly.

"Um she claimed her back hurt and she felt this sharp, shooting pain...why?" he asked.

"I think I may be in labor," I said with a giggle. "My water just broke."

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In movies and television they make birth look painful yet oddly glamorous. The babies are beautiful and other than some minor screaming and a lot of grunting, the birthing part isn't that bad. You know the things I'm talking about where the hair is all shiny and the make-up perfect while they are squeezing a human being out of them? You remember how trustworthy those women look in that intimate moment? Yeah well the bitches lied.

After John freaked out a reasonable amount of time, he helped me to my feet and escorted me to Damon's car. Damon, in a fit of madness, had taken the mini-van which had my hospital bag in it. Good going husband!

John drove like a maniac as he rushed me to the hospital, hyperventilating the whole time. I was ushered into a room to await the magical ten centimeters while swearing at John to find Damon and to get me some drugs. I was a mad woman and I was making my rage known. No one was safe as I railed against the nurses for trying to give me ice chips and Dr. Bennett for not helping me pushing the babies out then when I was ready to kill.

Four hours went by before Damon finally arrived with Klaus. Damon freaked out when he saw my drugged up self but I was in no mood. Severely chastised the men were given their orders, I snuggled my son up with me to keep me distracted. The men made the appropriate phone calls, arranged for dinner for Klaus, and spent a good deal of time looking concerned when I threw something at one of them.

You know how in television the women push out a child after like six hours? Liars again. Twenty-eight hours later I was deemed ready for delivery and Damon began swearing when I nearly punched him in the face during a particularly nasty contraction. He held me close while they got me ready, murmuring things that made me want to slap him but he kissed me first. One thing about Damon was those damn kisses. They could make you forget anything.

Six pushes later and Sophie Gianna was welcomed into the world. She was 6 pounds, four ounces and a bit of a crier. We had a moment to look at her crop of black hair and brilliant chocolate eyes before she was whisked to the nearby cradle while I readied to push the next one.

Two minutes later we welcomed Grace Isobel into the world. She was 6 pounds 1 ounce and as quiet as a mouse. She matched her sister in looks and in that moment I fell in love with them. Nestled together in one basinet, they were pushed to us for the first time. I could never describe the feelings that welled up inside me but one look at Damon confirmed he felt the same.

The two girls were whisked away to be fully cleaned and wrapped up in blankets while I got settled in my private room and Damon took the news to our family. Although it had been more than a day since I'd entered the hospital the entire family and friends group had remained anxiously awaiting the arrival of the girls. Our thoughts would have gone to them but I fell asleep on the way to the room and Damon seemed a tad preoccupied.

As I fell asleep I heard him murmur, "You won us a grand but I should know not to doubt you."

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Do not fear! I am not done with this story just yet. We'll have one more chapter in Damon's perspective and then an epilogue with another time jump. Thank you for sticking with me this long! If you are interested in Damon and Elena's first time in this universe then please check out the newly completed "Their Best Weekend".

Next up is Clue Me In or Small Time Charm (or this one if inspiration strikes).

I'm looking for book series recommendations because I'm in desperate need of new reading material. Please leave me a review and then go to my blog (tsukikomew d.o.t. blogspot d.o.t. com) and tell me what I should read! Also please answer my questions about what fanfiction means to you (if you have a chance). I'm trying to spread the word of fanfiction in a poster session for work (none of them know anything about it)!

Thank you!


	17. Their Best Life

"It's weird," she said suddenly. I rolled over to snuggle up against her and waited for her to continue. My wife always had an opinion and I was curious to see where she was headed with this one. "It's weird not being pregnant."

"I'm pretty sure you weren't thrilled with it while you were pregnant," I replied with a chuckle. "You were pretty vocal about being uncomfortable."

"Well I spent months with those two hanging around my belly and now I just have the flab," she whined.

"That and two beautiful daughters who are sleeping for the next two hours," I replied. She rolled her eyes at me when my hand slipped around to cup her breast through her night shirt. She swatted at it ineffectively but smiled nonetheless.

"Two more weeks Damon," she said bitterly. "You know that."

"But I'm horny!" I whined next to her ear. "I have a beautiful woman in bed with me and this is torture! Someone should be flogged and left in the stocks over this!"

"Okay...no more medieval movies for you," she said with a laugh. "I could...relieve it for you."

"No...no...I'll wait for you," he said. "Two weeks is really like twelve days which rounds down to like ten. And ten is so close to five so it's really right now isn't it?"

"Your logic frightens me," she said.

"Ah you liked my logic when I figured out how we could talk Stefan into babysitting when your "No Happy, Fun Time" ban was lifted. God he's a sucker!" I said chuckling. "Idiot taking three kids for a night with no help! I laugh at the naiveté."

"He'll have help," she whispered. "They're talking about kids and wanted a test run."

"Oh yeah his 'secret girlfriend' and all," I said with air quotes. "Does she even exist?"

"Um yeah she cooked dinner for you guys when I was still in the hospital," she explained.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Bonnie!? He's screwing little Bon-Bon Bennett?!" I said embarrassingly loud. "I thought she said she'd curse the next man who touched her and his...his well it would fall off!"

"You believe in her witchy powers a little too much Damon," Elena added as she rolled over to kiss me. "You are adorable! You know she hates the Bon-Bon thing."

"Well she was fat and she called me Sergeant Asshole for three years!" I shot back. "She started it!"

"Uh huh," Elena said, clearly amused. "You were kind of an asshole to her."

"I was an asshole to everyone," I explained. "I was in my 'hate the world' phase."

"I seem to recall you wanting to make-out a lot," Elena said wistfully. "You didn't hate me."

"Like I could hate you," I murmured as I nibbled her neck. "You got me through all of my down phases. Remember when I failed that business course and you came to my room wearing only my tie? I thank the heavens my parents had the decency to be out of town that weekend."

"Mmm...I remember the hot fudge," she said licking her lips. "So I was thinking maybe we could plan a little winter wonderland vacation in the mountains with the kids this year."

"It's like a comedy routine: the breadwinner, the house-husband, the troublemaker, and two babies. We could get lost in the snow..." I offered. "Let them fend for themselves."

"I'm still breast-feeding and I doubt Klaus could provide that for the girls," she said happily. "November?"

"Sure, sure," I replied. "Now can I make out with my wife until the midnight feeding?"

"Well if you insist."

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"It's your turn," she nudged as she prodded me with her foot.

"Unghh...I did it last time," I whined.

"When you came and got me because you dropped Gracie's bottle it became my turn," she mumbled.

"Maybe they'll stop?" I whispered hopefully.

"Damon just go get Gracie before she wakes Klaus," she mumbled. "Once he's up he won't go back to bed and then you'll have three cranky kids tomorrow."

"Shit cold!" I hissed when my bare feet came in contact with the icy floor boards. I grumbled my way to my robe and growled at the blinking lights on the digital clock.

"Love you," she mumbled sleepily.

"I love you too," I grumbled as I walked to the girls' room. "Gracie I swear to all that is holy, go to bed!"

"Wah..."

"Well I guess that's a no," I said sleepily.

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"Thank you Stefan," she murmured as she kissed each girl's head. Sophie already had her eyes closed and I knew she would be no trouble. She was the little angel of the duo, the one who slept through the night mostly and hardly made a peep. She tended to favor Elena when she did get a little upset which was rare. It was odd to think about our children playing favorites already.

Gracie was staring up at me and I saw the cry bubbling before Stefan did. Once in my arms she quieted and gurgled cutely. She was my baby, the one who always wanted me to hold her. Although identical, Gracie reminded me of Elena more than Sophie. Gracie demanded attention and she commanded the men in her life with an odd sort of cute dominance. Something about the way the men jumped for her reminded me of the years we jumped for Elena. The only difference was the quiet naiveté Elena had when it concerned the people around her. She had been unaware of the effect she had while Gracie seemed to have mastered it.

"Alright let's say goodnight Daddy," Elena said as she reached for Gracie. I reluctantly handed Gracie to her mother and watched as Elena kissed her softly before securing her in the stroller.

"Okay so you two will be here if I need you?" Stefan asked. "I'm not expecting it but you know...good to know."

"Yep," she said. "I ordered Chinese and we're just hanging out."

"Too much info," Stefan hissed. "I don't need to know about the nakedness."

"You and Bonnie have fun. Make sure Klaus finishes that math worksheet," Elena ordered. "Thanks again."

"No problem," Stefan said. "Have fun?"

"We will!" Elena said cheerily as she shoved him out the door. "And we're alone!"

"Elena," I said sadly. She whirled to face me and actually broke out laughing. "It's not funny."

"Aww...you miss the girls," she said laughing.

"It's our first night away from them," I whispered. "What if something happens? What if they need me?"

"They love Stefan and Bonnie and I'm sure they'll be fine. If not Stefan will call," she said firmly as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Okay?"

"But...but..." I began before she moved in for a killer kiss. I mumbled something about well something before she was pressing me against the door frame, crawling up my body like some horny little monkey.

"I love those girls," she said breaking away, "but damn I need some action!"

"But what if?" I asked.

"Oh screw it!" she hissed. "Go call Stefan back and I'll go take a damn nap!"

She stormed out of the room and I stood there feeling a bit unbalanced. I glanced down at the treacherous part of my body which seemed to be pointing at my angry wife while my brain kept wondering about the girls. I'd read about this. A lot of new mothers had trouble leaving their babies the first time but the books never mentioned the fathers! What was wrong with me?

I finally headed for the stairs, massaging my chest thoughtfully as I headed for the bedroom. The door was wide open but Elena was laying face down on the bed. I moved to her and noticed the trembling in her shoulders. Her clothes looked rumpled as if she'd been rolling around the bed, upset. I slid to the bed next to her and cuddled her up in my arms, rubbing my hands over her arms.

"Elena what's wrong?" I asked softly.

"I'm a bad mother!" she croaked.

"What? No!" I said vehemently. "What brought that on?"

"I didn't have trouble letting them out of the house," she cried. "I just wanted a night with my husband! I didn't get upset or anything!"

"That doesn't make you a bad mother," I explained. "I spend all day with them and it's a bigger adjustment for me. Remember when you bawled your first day of work. I thought you were crazy."

"You think it's the same thing?" she sniffled. "You think I got it out of my system or something?"

"I think the fact we're thinking about them when we could be getting naked means something," I replied.

"What?"

"We're really parents now," I said horrified. "Oh God!"

"Eighteen years for them," she said equally horrified. "Maybe sex isn't the best answer. Birth control didn't stop them!"

"I can't go eighteen years without sex Elena!" I hissed. "Quick take your pants off!"

"Sexy," she mumbled.

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"Do you think it's dangerous to eat General Tso's in bed?" I asked thoughtfully. "I mean the potstickers set off round 2."

"I'm up for round 3," she said happily. "Are you putting a piece of chicken on my belly button?"

"Well why not?" I asked pretending to be offended. "It's there so I might as well use it."

"What is wrong with you?" she asked as I tickled her as I ate the piece. "Hand me an egg roll."

"Your wish, my command," I said. "So I was thinking about the whole sex equals babies thing."

"Mood killer," she said laughing. "Are you going to draw me a diagram like when I was eleven and curious."

"Look the sperm had guns because they're invading. Let it go," I huffed.

"I liked the egg having a little bonnet," she giggled.

"Not the point!" I replied. "Okay so we could double birth control or something."

"I think I'll just stay on the pill and hope the universe waits until we're ready," she answered as she munched on her egg roll. "Can you believe how far we've come?"

"Sometimes I think I'll wake up in the morning and you'll be working at the Grill and we'll fool around when no one is paying attention. It's sort of a nightmare," I answered honestly.

"If you knew then what would happen would you do it differently?" she asked.

"Honestly?" I asked and waited for her nod, "I wouldn't change a thing. I got the love of my life, three beautiful children, and a house. All that's missing is a dog..."

"I said when the girls are older," she said firmly. "A nice border collie to keep them in line."

"But they're so cute," I pouted. "Plus there are some new border collie puppies at the Stanford farm."

"It's in Klaus's room isn't it?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Remarkably well behaved isn't she?" I said with a smile. "Not even a peep."

"You can train it," she said with a smirk. "Have fun. Oh and I'm not cleaning up the accidents."

"Okay Mom I promise," I said. She gave that little 'mom glare' that seems to appear the moment the baby comes out. I winked charmingly and tackled her to the sheets. "I think it's time for round three."

She smiled as I kissed her, savoring the odd combination of her and Chinese food. She moaned when my fingers found another little tempting dip in her body's curves. Her mouth dropped opened pleasurably as my fingers swirled and dipped teasingly. With my thumb I brought her there, writhing and crying out in surprise at the quick one-two punch of pleasure.

"Shit Damon!" she shrieked when I thrust inside while she was in the midst of that first pleasure. Pressing her hips to the bed firmly, I set the tortuous pace of shallow strokes, running a finger up and down her body. Soft, nearly feather-light touches had her pleading while the gentle thrusting sent her body into shivers.

When we crested that ending together, we tumbled to the bed in a heap of sweaty, satisfied limbs. She snuggled up in my arms and I held her close, her body warm and inviting. Surrounded by take-out, three stuffed animals, a baby pop-up crib, one half-done science project, and one crammed desk of adoption papers I thought about home.

In one year we'd gone from two people who slept together but never admitted their feelings. We'd fallen in love and gotten engaged. We'd married suddenly and found ourselves pregnant. We'd adopted a brilliant, adorable little boy. We'd bought a house, renovated it, and moved in all before having twins. Elena had gotten a dream job and found joy every single day she left for work. I'd gotten my own dream job of three kids and couldn't be happier.

Our relationship with my parents and our friends had improved dramatically. I spoke to my father daily and he helped me navigate this parenthood thing with an ease that had me surprised. My mother and Elena clicked in a way I'd never seen and I often found them laughing over a cup of coffee or tea while they discussed their next project.

Sometimes life just nudged you in the right direction. Love, Family, Marriage, and Happiness seemed to just fall into our laps in a way I thought impossible. We hadn't been given more than we could handle and at the end of the day we hadn't regretted a second of our lives together. Looking ahead I knew we'd be happy. Looking ahead I knew we'd weather whatever happened together, as a family.

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Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed the final full chapter of TBL! There will be an epilogue with a time jump so look out for that! Next up is "His", "Small Time Charm", and "Clue Me In". For those of you who haven't seen the messages, I will be continuing "Clue Me In" once "TBL" is marked complete. It's an intense story and I need to spend time focusing on the details.

If you haven't checked it out yet, I'm working on "His" which features short chapters around 1000 words a piece which is updated daily or a few times a week. I've crafted a world around the characters so it is incredibly different from my previous works.

Thank you all for reviewing, commenting, and recommending this fanfic . It means the world to me you've enjoyed it. I'm sorry to say there will be no other story to go with this universe unless I decide to do a one-shot or something. I think this Elena/Damon have reached the epitome of their happy ending. We'll get a glimpse into their future but no more. I hope you understand.

Thank you!


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